Zombie Heartbreaker
by Gamerowak
Summary: Imagine a ravaged world , a world where Bowser did not destroy, a world where Mario and Luigi are not here to save it and neither can be found. Join this odd protagonist as he explores this whole new world filled with dry creatures to find out who survived in an attempt to rebuilt the hope that has been crushed by a mysterious force and learn what really happened to his homeworld.
1. Prologue

**ZOMBIE HEARTBREAKER**

 **Prologue: The big day**

Amarioca, a continent named after its hero Mario, inhabited two powerful kingdoms and seven lands.

The mushroom kingdom, ruled by the human princess Peach Toadstool, was a wealthy and cultural place inhabited by toads. Toads were small humanoids with a mushroom shaped head albeit the head shape varied with every toad.

The Koopa Kingdom, ruled by King Bowser Koopa, was a proud force to be reckoned. All sort of koopas lived in his kingdom that excels in technological advances and military power. Those koopas were mostly turtle humanoids though their differences between each other seemed more significant than between toads.

Those two kingdoms were placed far away from each other separated by the seven lands.

The first land, Grassland, was ruled by the mighty Goomba King. The specie living here was a mushroom with feet that usually had fangs coming out of its mouth. It was said that it also had telekinesis powers to aid it in its daily routine. Grassland was found right to the east of the Mushroom Kingdom.

The second land, Sandland, was ruled by King Wart. Despite a frog ruling this land, its population consisted of shyguys. Those small humanoids always wore robes that almost covered the entirety of their body and concealed their face with a mask that showed a bland expression. Some others, wearing a gas mask, were called soldier guys while the ones with masks bearing a mischievous expression were thief guys. Sandland possessed the strongest land military besides the two kingdoms and was found north of Grassland.

The third land, Sealand, was not known to have a specific ruler. It instead worked with a council that took decisions by unanimity. Its people, the cheep cheeps, were big lipped fish capable of living in and out of water. Sealand had control of all the seas around Amarioca with its sea military and was right under Grassland.

The fourth land, Woodland, was ruled by Queen Flutter and inhabited the wigglers. These giant caterpillars had many pair of limbs that could shift into either hands or feet to fit their needs better. Woodland was one of the two lands in the middle of Amerioca, right next to Grassland, and was commonly used as a middle ground that welcomed both kingdoms during special events or diplomatic reunions.

The fifth land, Skyland, worked like Sealand politically. Unlike the other lands, this one did not have a huge ground territory. It instead rested on a giant mass of cloud that hovered near what little ground it had. Skyland was inhabited by lakitus: despite looking like koopas, they rode on living clouds and held a bond with them. Skyland was right north of Woodland and is the other land standing in the middle of the continent. Its aerial military was only outmatched by the two kingdoms.

The sixth land, Iceland, was ruled by Mother Penguin. As her name suggested, the land's population was made of penguins. Those majestic blue and white birds established a civilisation in those frozen lands to make it more hospitable and welcome guests and tourists. Iceland could be found northeast of Woodland and was one of the two lands adjacent to the Koopa Kingdom.

The seventh and last land, Pipeland, was ruled by Petey Piranha. Like the namesake, the people living here were piranha plants. Despite being plants, they could unstick from the ground and move freely. This maze of islands and pipes was the other land adjacent to the Koopa Kingdom right under Iceland.

Many years ago, when Bower ascended to the throne, he started a conflict with the Mushroom Kingdom and rallied the seven lands against it. However, Mario took the Mushroom Kingdom to a tight victory with the help of his brother Luigi. Bowser's motivation was unknown since he did not commit any casualties while kidnapping peach. All he wanted was the princess making the world suspect that he wanted both kingdoms to himself. A few years later and over the years, Princess Toadstool occasionally visited King Koopa for an unknown reason. More years passed and Bowser proposed a deal that seemed out of place for a person like him: a peace treaty. The only thing Peach said about it was that tears were dripping from his eyes and declared that he had given up on his dream. Many people tried to ask Bowser about this dream but he did not answer. He instead showed them his new son, Bowser Koopa Jr. Afterward, both rulers of kingdoms denied that they had an affair with each other. The treaty proved to be efficient as the two kingdoms continuously made deals with each other while lending a hand to the lands between them. It was crazy how years of peace coulc change people, especially…

 **Today, Many years later**

It was a hot summer day right after the weekend. The bedroom had a closet, a small table with a clock on it and a bed with a mass of blankets. The blankets made slight expanding and shrinking movements. Someone was sleeping in them. However, the sleeper concealed his face with them for an unknown reason. As the clock started ringing, a yellow scaly arm emerged from the blankets, trying to turn the clock off but failing many times. Eventually, the mass of blankets fell on the ground, taking the sleeper with them.

"Woah!" The sleeper gasped.

The blankets unfolded themselves to reveal a strange looking koopa. Unlike other koopas, this one had a green head, a large feline muzzle with a mouth that constantly showed two fangs instead of having a beak, a more orange-ish skin tone and claws on its hands and feet. It also had long sky blue hairs that covered parts of its head. It was not wearing a shell though because sleeping with it or inside it proved to be uncomfortable to it. He instead wore underwear made up of a t-shirt and shorts, both colored like its hair.

The koopa slowly stood up groaning in pain for having fallen off his bed. The clock still ringing, he tapped it on the top and it went silent. His oval eyes where still shut but he stretched his arms, making him awake enough to open his eyes that were blue. With his long hairs covering his face, he moved them backward. A blue star was tattooed on the back of his head to the left. He stared at the room, remembering that he used to live there a few years ago. His room used to be filled with toys, sport accessories and trophies that he won at various competitions either local ones or international ones. The koopa smiled and sighed as he slowly left his room.

The koopa now found himself in a corridor with three doors in front of him with each having a face silhouette to represent the rooms' owner. Two other doors next to his also had a similar silhouette and even his door had its own. However, his showed him with towering hairs while the koopa's hairs were laid down and back. Two other doors were on each end of the corridor. The koopa went to the one on his left to enter a giant bathroom.

Steam invaded the room as sounds of rain could be heard. The koopa went into some vestiaries to remove his underwear and followed the sound of showers.

"Look! Lazybone Larry woke up."

A huge cloud of dense steam flooded the shower room that only showed the head of five other koopas that shared similar traits with Larry.

The first one had a white head with a giant black star birthmark that covered half of his face. Dark skinned arms stuck out of the steam cloud to wash the three hair strings he had. His small round eyes did not have a specific color other than black.

The second one was so tall that his upper body could be seen above the thick cloud of steam. He wore glasses that gave the illusion that he had big eyes but everyone knew that they were small. Much like Larry, he had blue eyes but four fangs came out of his mouth instead of two. His hairs were green.

The third one had a pink head and was completely bald. He wore shades which are unnatural to have them while taking a shower. Very few people knew what his eyes looked like under them since he rarely removed them.

The fourth one was so small that only his multicolored hairs could be seen outside of the steam cloud. He had to jump a few times to reveal his head that had no teeth coming out of his mouth and his big oval lazy eyes were only black. He also had lines tattooed on the side of his head. He also had a yellow ponytail.

The fifth and last one had blue hairs darker than Larry's. A single tooth came out in the middle of his mouth unlike the others where their teeth were at both ends of their mouth. His small round eyes were black.

"We all woke up at the same hour. I don't see why I'm the one to be called lazy."

"LARRY TOOK MORE TIME GET HERE! MORTON WENT STRAIGHT TO SHOWERS!"

"Ha ha! Morton's right. You always wake up slower than anyone else."

"Today's an important day, shrimp. That's the one day ya don't wanna wake up late."

"Yay! Big day!"

"I can't believe ve are actually doing zis."

All of Larry's friends spoke in different manners. He was one of the few people here that spoke normally. They spent their shower time washing and talking about the weekend they spent at the castle as well as the big day. The big day consisted of a worldwide meeting with an organisation called the Space Federation to negotiate trades and tourism. Once they were done showering, they all headed to the vestiaries where they wrapped themselves with towels. As they were about to hit the sinks for a final touch to their look, one last koopa similar to them slowly walked towards the showers wearing a towel that covered its body. This one however was a female with an orange head and pink lips instead of a muzzle. The male koopas stared at her before she vanished into the steam cloud.

"Phuh! Girls and their drama! Always have to wait that boys are done." The pink-headed koopa joked.

A bar of soap went flying from the showers toward him and hit him at a speed so high that it left a big red mark on his head.

"I heard that, Roy!" A female voice echoed.

Larry could not help to chuckle while the tall koopa burst out in laugher. Roy took the laughing koopa by the neck and raised one of his imposing fists, ready to punch him.

"Don't make yaself regret this decision, nerd!" He yelled as Iggy was still laughing.

The others held Roy and things quickly went back to normal. Because Roy had no hairs, he immediately left the bathroom but not before wearing back his underwear which only included a pair of purple shorts. The others dried their hairs and combed them in their own style. Larry combed his in a towering way and backward. Afterward, they all changed back into their underwear and left for their room.

Once Larry entered back his room, he headed straight for the closet. He opened it and took out some fancy clothes and a spiky shell that shared the same color as his head. Deep blue rings were at the base of the spikes of the shell. He suited himself with it and added a shirt with the same color and some black pants. For the neck however, he was not sure if he wanted a bowtie or a regular tie. He went to his table and grabbed his wallet to take a coin from it.

(Head will be the bowtie; tail will be the regular tie.) He thought before tossing the coin in the air.

The coin started flipping and gained altitude until it practically froze in midair and fell down. Larry caught the coin with his right hand and slapped it on his left arm. Once he removed his hand, he saw that the coin landed on the tail side. He went back in the closet and took a tie then stood in front of the mirror inside the closet's door to adjust it around his neck.

(Looking sharp.) He complimented to himself in his head as he adjusted the tie around his neck.

He was ready for the big day but not before his stomach had its word to say. Larry left his room and took the door at the other end of the corridor. This door led to a small dining room where all the other koopas were already there, even the female one.

"You sure took little time for your make-up, Wendy." Larry jokingly said as he sat between her and Morton.

Wendy ignored his words. A chef koopa, a typical one, went seeing the strange koopas sitting around the table. He took their order and moved to the next client. The chef then arrived to Larry.

"What may I get for you, Sir Larry?" He asked.

"Just bring me the fruit basket and, please, just call me Larry." The punk koopa answered.

He used to like it when people referred to him with a title. However, as the years went by, he noticed that some people, especially Wendy and the other koopa with blue hair, took it a bit too literally as their ego reached points that they were either mocked or ignored. It also reminds him of a time where he had all the attention and he never understood why. The chef nodded and left the room. A few minutes later, many waiters entered the small dining room and brought everyone's breakfast. It was fascinating that no one took the same exact meal: A ham sandwich for Morton, French toasts for Wendy, cereals for the green haired koopa, eggs and bacon for Roy, pancakes for the smallest one, and oatmeal for the other blue-haired koopa. As everyone picked up their utensils, Larry started gobbing through the basket. Everyone surprisingly stared at him gobbing through the entire basket full of fruits. Some of them where even struggling to keep their eyes open fearing that they would miss all of it. They did not even touch their meal and Larry was already done. The punk koopa left the room.

Larry walked down a corridor that led to the throne room. This room was vast and only housed a throne near an end of the room with another corridor behind it. On the other side, there was a huge door that led outside. Many armored and armed koopas were holding position. Another one who was wearing a blue robe with a bonnet, round dense glasses and holding a wand headed toward him. He was also wearing round glasses. Larry noticed him and went toward him.

"Archmage Kamek." He saluted, bowing down to him.

"For someone like you, you're very early today. I was expecting to see you last." Kamek replied.

Larry could not like Kamek. In fact, he was very suspicious to this being that from a type of koopa referred as magikoopas. He spied on him many times speaking to King Bowser about unusual information. Kamek was also at the heart of a war declaration attempt during the peace treaty and, if Larry did not tell the king about it, things would not have been the way they were to this day. There were also rumors going around that this magikoopa lived many centuries. The other strange koopas arrived and all bowed down to Kamek.

"All koopalings are here. That's good. All of you are to head to Bowser's office. He will call you one by one to discuss about how things will go today."

The koopalings headed to a corridor behind the throne. Inside the corridor, they saw a small koopa that shared similarities with them except this one only had black dots as eyes, a single red ponytail emerged from its head with tiny horns on the sides and one small fang came out of the left side of its mouth. He was only wearing a bib with a fanged open mouth drawn on it. By the look, he probably drew it himself. He was slowly walking toward the throne room holding what seemed to be a portable video game console. He was staring at it which meant that was playing something. The koopalings ignored him, save…

"Hey, Junior!" Larry greeted, waving at him.

Junior did not take his sight out of the console or say anything but he did wave back at him.

"See Vendy, even Junior has ze courtesy of replying ven someone speaks to him." The blue-haired koopaling joked.

"Shut up, Ludwig!" Wendy furiously replied.

Some koopaling subtly chuckled as they reached a door with seven chairs near it. They all took a seat while Kamek entered the room.

"Ludwig!"

The blue-haired koopa stood up and entered the room. A few minutes later, he got out frowning.

"If zere vas vone place it did not vant to go today, it vas Pipeland and it has to be me that goes zere."

Ludwig ran away fearing that he might arrive late. Despite being right next to the Koopa Kingdom, Pipeland was a pipe maze and the path to the Pipeland castle changed every day.

"Lemmy!"

The shortest koopaling entered the office. He left it a few minutes later screaming in joy.

"Yay! Iceland!" Lemmy screamed.

He immediately ran away. Unlike Ludwig, he wanted to save some time so he could play in the snow before the meeting.

"Roy!"

The pink-headed koopaling entered the room and returned in the corridors with a large grin.

"Oh yeah! I get to use an airship. Skyland, here I come!" Roy declared.

Roy walked away, humming a song to himself.

"Iggy!"

The tall koopaling entered the room. He got out but did not express anything at first but then burst out in laugher.

"Yes! Woodland is the pinnacle of technological advancement." He laughed as he hopped away.

"Wendy!"

The female koopa went in and came out smiling.

"Sealand, such a beautiful place for someone like me." She said while walking away.

"Morton!"

The dark skinned koopaling entered the room leaving Larry the only one sitting in the corridor. A few minutes passed and Morton left the room. Unlike the others, he did not express himself as much but Larry could tell that he was glad.

"SANDLAND!" Morton only said as he left.

This meant that Larry would get the last land and his favorite one: Grassland. He always loved playing on the plains when he was younger and loved to stand on the highest one to stare at the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Larry!"

Once he heard his name, the punk koopaling opened the door. Inside, he saw an imposing koopa like him sitting behind a desk. This one however had red hairs combed to the side, big curved horns on his head and was wearing glasses with a white suit. The giant koopa was reading papers.

"Please, take a seat." He said with his powerful voice.

Larry sat on the only chair that was available in the room.

"Let me explain how things will go. I sent the other koopalings as my representatives to the lands between our kingdom and Peach's kingdom. Today, we meet people from the Space Federation and we will discuss with them about possible trades and space exploration." He explained.

"So you want me to represent you in Grassland?" Larry asked.

"You guessed right, kid. However…" Bowser started.

"However?" Larry asked, starting to get a little worried.

"It was planned at the start that you would represent me in Grassland. However, you will not represent me this time."

Larry's usual smile vanished.

"What? Why?" Larry asked.

"I have received multiple reports from the Grassland inhabitants telling that they deemed you untrustworthy to represent me in Grasslend. You will instead act as an escort to my Grassland representative. He will waiting for you at the garage." The king declared.

The new devastated Larry.

"Can I change myself to some more casual clothing, King Bowser?" Larry asked.

"Do as you will, but do not waste his time." Bowser answered.

The punk koopaling could not believe it. He showed unmeasurable respect and loyalty to the koopa king but to hear such thing from him was unexpected. Although, he thought that it was for his own good. He returned to his room where he switched his fancy suit for a sky blue hoodie and a pair of spiked bracers he would always wear any other day. The new took away his motivation but he had to go.

He entered the garage where the only vehicles that were inside were a sport bike and a truck. Inside the truck, a koopa that resembled Roy was sitting at the driver's seat. The koopa had an orange head, no glasses revealing his black eyes and longer arms. He was also wearing a black tuxedo with a red tie Larry took the passenger seat and they both left the garage.

The road was mostly quiet at the beginning until the drive started speaking.

"It must really suck to not represent the king to land like the others." The driver said out of sympathy.

Larry ignored him. He was not in the mood to speak to anyone. He was staring outside with an uninterested expression.

"The king told me that you were deemed untrustworthy." He continued.

The punk koopaling started becoming angry. He already became impatient today. Who would not?

"Listen, if it can raise your morale at least a little bit, I don't find you untrustworthy at all. Every day, I hear stories of your exploit and how every guard in the castle want to be under your lead." The driver comforted.

"You're just telling nonsense." Larry said back.

"I'm serious. It's especially the ones that follow Ludwig. That's the kind of person that I'd find untrustworthy instead of you. And besides, aren't you THE leader of the koopalings? You wouldn't keep such title if no one could trust you, right?"

"You're right. I wouldn't if I was really untrustworthy. Thanks, Boom Boom." Larry smiled looking back at him.

Despite being only a rank higher than the typical soldier, Boom Boom was quite close to the koopalings especially Larry since he was the most reliable one of the group. Larry appreciated that someone thought otherwise of the king's words. The rest of the road trip ended up with both the driver and the passenger speaking about various things they did. Maybe being an escort was not so bad after all. Though, it made him question why Bowser did not want him to represent him in Grassland.

They arrived at the Grassland castle which was a small fortress compared to the Koopa castle. They parked the truck and got out. They headed inside where many goombas were standing.

"Well. Since you're the one representing, I'll let you be. I'm going to my business in town so I won't be that far if you're looking for me. You know my number." Larry said.

The bald koopa nodded and they both walked their separate way. Before he could leave the building… a powerful voice emerged from nowhere.

"Not so fast, young boy!" A powerful voice spoke.

The koopaling turned around and saw a giant goombas walking toward him. This one had red piercing and lazy eyes making Larry unsure if he was speaking to him. His white hair brows and whiskers on the side of the face made it obvious that this goomba was getting quite old. His body was made of red and white stripes and he wore a crown. It was the king of Grassland. A letter was hovering near him and he lent Larry the letter.

"What's this?" The punk koopa asked while opening the letter.

He took out the letter and realized it was an arrest request signed by King Bowser.

"Oh come on! First, I can't represent him here and, now, he's throwing me in jail!" Larry complained.

"These are your king's orders. I don't make them but I'll follow them. Guards! Take him to the dungeon." The goombas king ordered.

Larry remained calm but his mood quickly shifted to bitter after the dire new. He was escorted to a prison cell where he had to stay for the duration of the meeting. One goomba stayed behind to keep an eye on him. Did the koopa king really question his best general? Larry had no idea why his highness would put him behind the bars. He became sad that he had to waste an entire day doing absolutely nothing. He sat down on the bed in the corner of his cell and curled up. He then slowly closed his eyes.

"I remember… I remember a time where I was all alone and that everyone would pick on me because I was unable to speak at my age… The orphanage." He whispered.

" _Come on, baby boy! You have to say the word to get your stupid toy back. Ha ha!"_

 _Larry found himself in one of his past memories, the kind that he wanted to forget. Despite being a sunny day, it was not a happy day for him. He was surrounded by the other koopalings and they were bullying him by stealing his favorite toy: a goomba plush. Roy currently had it in his hand and he was teasing Larry to speak. However, the punk koopaling could not talk despite his age. He instead used sign language but no one bothered to understand him. The other koopalings tossed the toy to each other until it landed in Morton's hands who threw it far away. Larry chased after his toy but Roy caught it. The latter moved out of the way and the young koopaling then tripped on a rock and fell into a mud pool. The others laughed at him until…_

" _Children! Stop it Right now! The six of you will go to detention now." A voice scolded them._

 _An adult koopa took the goomba from Roy's hands and led the six troublemakers inside a building while holding Larry's hand. She did not give him back his toy yet because mud would get on it. She put the troublemakers in a detention room and took the dirty child to a bathroom where she washed him. She then gave him back his toy._

" _Poor kid. I wish the others would treat him nicely." She whispered as she kissed Larry on the cheek._

 _She brought him in a room with many beds and put Larry down on a bed in a faraway corner of the room._

" _You will stay in your room while I ground those troublemakers." The adult said before leaving the room._

 _Larry looked as the adult vanished behind the door frame. He looked back as his toy and put it on a table next to his bed. He lied sideway on the way and curled up. He cried. It was nightmare for him to have to be with the other children, especially the ones that looked like him. He was always the victim of all sorts of pranks and an adult always had to intervene to stop them. He had enough of being saved by the others. One say, he would be the one saving them._


	2. Chapter 1-1

**ACT 1: THE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 1-1: A kingdom in ruins**

Larry woke up out of breath as if he submerged himself underwater for too long. He slowly took back his breathing pace and looked around to realize he was still in a prison cell. The meeting must still be going on. A bowl of salad was lying near the cell door on Larry's side. Without thinking, he immediately grabbed the bowl and shoved it to his face. This delicious salad also had tomatoes, some bacon and chicken. By the taste, the salad was not left there for a long time. After his meal, the koopaling leaned on the door's bars trying to look in the corridor. The noticed that the goomba that was supposed to keep an eye on him vanished.

"Hello? Helloooooo? Anyone here? I just want to ask the time." Larry said.

No answer. Larry went back to his bed but not before he noticed a barred window above it. He got the idea to jump on the bed to reach the window. He put his plan to execution and was able to grab after the window's ledge. He pulled himself upward and looked outside to see the sun was about to rise. It was the day after the big day. What happened? Why is anyone not releasing him? Many vehicles were still parked near the Grassland Fortress which implied that there were still many people around. No one was outside. Then, a skeletal creature resembling a goomba slowly walked by, blue gas coming out of its mouth.

(What in the world is this?) Larry gasped.

Though he already saw dry bones before, this one scared him. The practice of necromancy was exclusively to Bowser who only used this power to master it. Perhaps Bowser was planning something with it. The dry creature slowly turned its head and saw the punk looking at it. It delivered an ear piercing screech. Larry had to cover his ears but, by doing so, he fell off the ledge to his bed. He quickly stood up and jumped off the bed.

(I have to get out of here and warn the others. Good thing I always carry a hairpin in case of emergency.)

He went to the door and pulled a hairpin out of his hairs. He never needed one but it was practical for him in case needed to go somewhere without causing too much property damage. He bent it to make it fit inside the lock. He was used to pick locks with his claws and a hairpin since his younger age. He used to sneak inside rooms he was not supposed to go and, one day, he found out about Kamek's secret war declaration which explained why the arch mage held such grudge against Larry. After some time and patience, Larry finally picked the lock and opened the door. Not a cat was walking in the corridor. He slowly walked through while looking into the other cells. They were empty. He kept walking until he reached a table that held a letter. Larry recognized the arrest request and decided to take it. He was not sure why he would need it but he felt like it might be of use someday. He proceeded through the stairs that led upward.

Larry arrived in a hall. The situation was worse than he though. Many dry goombas were roaming aimlessly the hall all breathing strange blue gas. He was afraid that the Goomba King and BoomBoom might have fallen victim to those monsters. The punk had to sneak out of the castle but he wanted to make sure that the Grassland representative was still around and not dry. He went upstairs without being noticed. Despite the current situation, he had to make sure BoomBoom was still here. Since he did not go to the meeting, it him some time to get to the meeting room.

He eventually found the meeting room in a few minutes. The Grassland Fortress was not as huge as the Koopa Castle. Once inside, Larry witnessed the horror. His friend was turned into a dry version of himself and it let out more gas that any other dry creatures. The monster saw him and screeched. Everything in the castle heard it and the koopaling saw that all the dry creatures were heading toward him. This panic situation forced him to make a quick decision: Fight or run? Without thinking, Larry chose to fight them. He was a master at Koop Fu and once went in a Freestyle Fighting Festival, F3 for short, where he reached the finals but lost against the grandmaster of fighting. He was not scared of them since he put a lot of trust in his skills. He delivered powerful punches kicks against the monsters, breaking them in pieces. Since the horde only had dry goombas, it was easily and quickly dispatched. He turned toward the dry koopa. He was hesitating. He could not bring himself to hurt a friend but, at this point, this monster was only impersonating BoomBoom. He clenched his fists.

"I'm sorry, pal, but I have to do it." Larry whispered charging towards the monster.

At first, he was able to land some punches and kicks on the dry koopa but then the monster breathed a thick cloud that made Larry unable to land a single hit on it. The monster violently swung his claws, slashing through Larry's plating. The pain caused Larry to panic. He was not used to be this hurt and got terrified when he saw blood coming out of his belly. He quickly tried to step back to avoid another attack from the monster but fell on his rear. Fortunately, he did not fall on his shell. Such thing would have been fatal as he would not be able to get back up in time before the monster had an opportunity to strike him again. He crawled backward, too hurt to stand back up. The monster slowly chased after him until he cornered the punk to a bookcase. Larry hit the bookcase and was praying for a miracle to happen. Then, a strange object fell into his hands and sent a powerful blast of energy at the dry creature, blowing it to pieces. The pieces flew in all directions and disintegrated as they hit the walls and the floor. Larry gasped after seeing the exploding result of the object. He looked at it and recognized the orange wand. This cursed object scared him a long time ago.

"I remember… A long time ago… One day, Bowser caught me eavesdropping on him and I thought he would ground me. To my surprise, he gave me the task to bring him this wand."

 _It was a stormy night in Grassland but Larry had to infiltrate the castle and bring Bowser the orange wand. He entered it by the window to the king's bedroom. The koopa king gave him a specific indication: do not touch the wand with your bare hands. The young koopaling was wearing gloves for the mission. Once inside the bedroom, the punk looked around for his target. The grassland king was sleeping in his bed. Larry spotted the wand near the king. It was the Goomba King's way to make sure no one would ever be able to take it from him. However, Larry was too sneaky to wake him up and swapped the wand with a wooden stick. His mission completed, he then headed back toward the window from where he entered. Before he could reach it, the door opened. A small goomba with an antenna on his head entered it to say his goodnight to his king but caught Larry in the act._

" _Stop, Thief!" the small goomba yelled._

 _His antenna on the goomba's head glowed red and the window where the koopaling wanted to escape closed itself shut. The whole castle was in a state of lockdown. The Goomba King woke up and saw them._

" _Guards, get him!" The king ordered._

 _The small goomba tried to grab Larry by the hand with his mouth but could only pull the glove out of it. He instead tried to take back the wand with his telekinetic powers._

" _Give back the wand, thief! You won't get away with it!" The goomba ordered._

 _The koopaling could not give him back the wand. He had a mission to complete and he did not want to deceive King Bowser. He pulled back, trying to keep it. Both pulled so strong that they fell on the ground while the wand flew upward. It then fell in Larry's bare hand._

" _No! The poor soul, it's about to… Wait! What's happening?" The antenna goomba pointed out._

 _Larry was not sure what the goomba expected but it certainly was not about the wand glowing in his hand and spreading an orange light on his skin. He was not sure how to react to it until._

" _What's going on!? Why am I glowing!?" The scared koopaling screamed._

" _You're an athlean!? I thought you were all dead!" The Goomba King said out of fear._

 _It was the first time he was called an athlean but what scared him was not the wand glowing in his hand but the king saying he was not supposed to be alive. Larry quickly stood up pointing the wand toward the goombas._

" _Stand back!" He said, afraid for his life._

" _Calm down, kid. Just give us back the wand and we'll let you go freely. We'll forget all of this ever happened. We'll even…" The small goomba tried to bargain._

" _Give me back my wand NOW!" The king screamed impatiently._

 _Out of fear, Larry erratically waved the wand. It fired a blast of energy that went toward the Goomba King, pushing him back to the wall and turning him into a snake. The koopaling got so scared he threw the wand to the other goomba and ran away by the door._

"Athlean… I always wondered what it meant. I remember Bowser telling me that he wasn't expecting that to happen when I reported him the incident. He told me to take some vacations before I went on my net mission." Larry whispered.

Larry kept the wand with him and stood up. The wound made it a pain to simply move. He looked at the few pieces of bone that were not destroyed by the orange wand. He was not sure if they belonged to BoomBoom or anyone else. He slowly walked to the doorway but before leaving the room he looked back inside one more time.

"I'm sorry, BoomBoom." He mourned before slowly walking out of the room.

With the halls cleared, he could move around without worrying about the dry creatures. It was a good idea that he took care of the horde before confronting his dry friend or the wound would have made it harder to sneak out of the castle. His wound became more and more unbearable as he walked toward the main entrance. He felt like he was not going to make it. He finally reached the exit, the main entrance in the hallway. Once he got out, the sunlight blinded him. He could hear voices.

"Stop right there!"

"Wait! He's hurt! Someone bring me a first aid kit!"

"He's about to collapse! Hurry!"

Before his eyes could adjust to the light, Larry's vision faded to black and collapsed to his wound.


	3. Chapter 1-2

**Chapter 1-2: Larry's trial**

Larry could still feel the pain but it soothed down by a lot. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a big headed silhouette that seemed to be treating the wound on his belly. The silhouette turned its head and saw that its patient was waking up.

"Don't move too much. You'll be alright for now." The silhouette told him.

As Larry opened his eyes even more, he recognized the silhouette to be a toad doctor. This Toad had red hearts all around his mushroom shaped head and was wearing a white lab coat.

"I'll help you get up." The doctor said putting away some tools.

He then proceeded to grab Larry by putting one arm behind the koopaling's back and with the other he took Larry's left arm and put it around his neck. Despite the pain, Larry was able to be sitting on what seemed to be a mattress without squirming. The punk looked at his chest to notice he was only wearing his shorts.

"My shell…" He started.

"We are currently fixing your shell, don't worry. As for your other clothes, we had to toss them away to avoid any risks of infection. You're very lucky to have survived one of those monster's attack and still be living to tell the tale." The doctor told him.

"Infection? Survived? What do you mean?" Larry asked.

"Whenever someone got attacked by those dry creatures, they quickly turned into one of them. Thanks to you though I was able to extract some of your blood and analyse what causes those infections." The toad explained.

The doctor turned away to pick up a test tube and showed it to Larry. There was not much blood in it but the koopaling was still able to notice something blue in it.

"See the blue serpentine substance dancing in the red?" The doctor asked.

Larry nodded. He found it so weird that this substance might have been flowing through his veins.

"This is what causes people to turn into dry creatures if they ever get attacked by one of them. I think the way it works is that their claws and fangs are filled with this substance." The doctor answered.

"But how did I survive?" Larry asked.

"That's where it gets interesting but before I show you I'll bandage that wound. I hate seeing an open wound like that."

The doctor walked away and brought bandages. He wrapped it around Larry's body and the wound could not be seen.

"I'll give it a few days before you can remove them." The toad told him.

He then moved a rolling table with a microscope on it near the koopaling and took another test tube. This one did not have any blue particles swimming in the blood. With a pipette, he extracted some blood from the tube and put a single drop on a small piece of glass then slid it under the microscope's sight. He then adjusted the scope until he could see what he was looking for.

"There! Look at this." The doctor said to the punk.

Larry looked through the microscope. At first, he did not see anything special besides the usual: red blood cells, white blood cells, blood capillaries. Then, a purple blood cell passed by. This blood cell turned the other white blood cells into purple blood cells.

"What's that?" Larry asked.

"It seems to be an improved white blood cell. It also explains how you were able to survive the dry creature's attack. According to my studies, this blood cell is the only one capable of destroying the blue substance. It can also turn other white cells into purple cells as you may have noticed but it takes a while before it can fully make your blood safe from the dry infection. Judging by the amount found in your veins, it must have started this weekend." The doctor answered.

"It's funny that you say that because Bowser had me vaccinated last weekend for a disease he wouldn't tell me."

"Your king had a vaccine for it?" The toad asked, surprised.

"It was a prototype in limited stock and took a very selective amount of people. Those people where the lords of each lands, Princess Peach and her advisor, Bowser Jr. and, out of luck, I was one of the few non-royalty people to be vaccinated."

"How did he get that?"

"Don't ask me. I have no idea how he made this or from where he got it."

Another toad wearing a blue business suit entered room.

"You're finally awake. It's time for you to stand trial." The toad said.

"Trial?" Larry asked.

"For your crimes, you must stand trial." He replied.

Larry was not sure what was going on. He did not remember that he committed any crimes recently. It however came to his mind that he might be accused of the incident in the Grassland castle. The two toads sat him on a wheelchair and brought him into the corridor. They brought him inside a big room with toads sitting down on benches left and right. He was moved to desk in the middle of a free space right in front of a tall desk where a toad wearing a wig while wielding a hammer was sat. The judge stroke the hammer on his desk to calm down the room. Larry also noticed the two toads on each side of the room. The trial started.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Larry Mulan." The judge started.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

"The defense is ready, Your Honor."

"Then let us start the trial. Where are here with the accused, Larry Mulan, who committed the heinous crime of turning the entire Grassland population into dry creatures and stealing the orange wand. What do you have to say in your defense, accuser?"

Larry had no idea that the infection spread further than the Grassland Fortress. Maybe it was even worse and started spreading all over Amarioca. Could Bowser be behind this? Right now, he had to get himself out of trouble.

"I'm not responsible of what happened in Grassland. I'll however admit that I took the orange wand but had no intention of stealing it." Larry declared.

"We shall see about that, accuser. Let us hear your first testimony."

"During the big day, I arrived at the Grassland castle escorting Bowser's representative for the land."

"Hold it! You were escorting someone, not representing your kingdom?"

"Yes, my king received reports from Grassland that I was judged untrustworthy for the post of…"

"Objection! You're Larry Mulan, Bowser's highest ranked soldier. In fact, you're so high ranked you could reach the throne if it wasn't for Bowser's son. There's no way he could've deemed you untrustworthy for the post"

"Objection! Larry was known to be cheatsy which does give a motivation behind Bowser's actions. You said he received reports right?"

Cheatsy… That was a word the punk had not heard for a long time. It still haunted him but he could not let a word cloud reality. Larry simply nodded, trying to hide his disgust.

"Can we have a look at them?"

"I don't have any with me."

"The court will provide you with some of the reports Bowser received over the year. Some of them were sent to the Goomba King and were found in the Grassland Castle"

Two toads came in and gave reports to both the defendant and the prosecutor.

"I will give you ten minutes to read them."

The defense and the prosecution attentively read through the reports. Ten minutes passed. They were ready to carry on with the trial.

"Can we carry on?"

Both parties nodded.

"Please continue, accuser."

"Once I got inside, I left the representative to his task. I was about to leave the castle but then the king came to me with a letter. It was an arrest request signed by King Bowser."

"Hold it! Can we see this arrest request you're talking about?"

"I had it in my shell but it's being fixed and I don't know where my shell is."

"I will send someone to retrieve the shell and your belongings."

A few minutes later, another toad came in with various objects in his hands. He gave Larry a brand new white t-shirt and his shell while he gave to the judge the arrest request and the orange wand.

"Now the trial will feel less awkward." Larry joked.

The room started laughing, the judge chuckled and the defense was holding himself. The prosecutor not amused.

"I should've thought of doing this earlier." The judge laughed.

He quickly got serious again and asked the two parties to read the letter. Afterward, the prosecution continued.

"Objection! By handwriting, you can see that Bowser both signed the arrest request AND wrote those reports. This means that he was plotting something and needed to put Larry somewhere safe while he spread the virus."

"Objection! A king or queen can make decisions on his own behalf. Those evidences only show that it was Bowser himself who deemed him untrustworthy for the post. He wrote all of it to convince Larry that it was the Grassland people's decision instead of his."

"The defendant is right. It does not prove that Bowser was plotting something. Accuser, please proceed."

"The guards put me in a…"

A loud growl resonated through the room, scaring everyone inside. The judge was trying to bring back order by slamming his hammer on the desk but in vain. Larry was ready for action but then realized that he felt it inside himself.

"Order! Order!" The judge shouted while slamming his hammer.

"Your Honor, I'm sorry to interrupt my testimony like that but I'm really hungry and I didn't eat anything since I woke up." The koopaling said, awkwardly smiling.

"You didn't? Well, in that case, we will interrupt the trial since lunchtime is soon. I'll give you an hour to dine. I forbid anyone to talk about the trial outside the room. I'm sorry for all the inconveniences today." The judge replied.

Everyone left the room. Larry followed them because he had no idea where the cafeteria was. Eventually, he reached it and went to the counter.

"Hello, we're pretty limited on our stock today so we cannot make bigger portions than usual. What will it be for you?" The cook saluted.

"I'll just take two slices of all-dressed pizza and some orange juice please." The punk ordered.

He received everything he ordered then walked toward an isolated table where he sat at. Normally, Larry was the type of person that would go meet new people and speak with them. Today, however, he was concerned about something. He feared that maybe Bowser, his son and the other koopalings were in danger. The defendant joined him with only a sandwich for lunch. The punk brushed the thought away and smiled at him.

"So, two jobs and three sports every week?" The defendant asked.

"Yup! That's me!" Larry proudly replied.

"How can you do so many things in a every week and still look fine? Anyone else would be burnt out after two weeks."

"I'm not sure how. I first started with one job and one sport. Then, I still had energy to spend so I took a second job and started practicing a second sport, then a third one. Even with all of that, I still feel that I could do much more but time restrains me to do so and I can't cut on sleeping. I have my own limits but they're just beyond most people."

The two kept talking about their lives until the prosecutor sat with them. His presence was not welcoming as he did not even smile at anyone. The only thing that mattered to this toad was to put Larry behind the bars. It was obvious that he disapproved of the peace treaty between the two kingdoms and despised Larry's kind along with Bowser and the other koopalings.

"What are you planning?" The prosecutor suspiciously asked.

"Calm down, we're just having a friendly conversation." The defendant answered.

The two attorneys had a serious dispute that lasted a few dozens of minutes. Larry was just listening to them but it was not that easy when most of the things that were said between them were only insults.

"Uh guys? Sorry to interrupt your conversation but the trial restarts soon." Larry reminded them.

"Oh yeah? You didn't even start eating. I doubt you can finish in seconds." The prosecutor replied.

The koopaling took it as a challenge. He made an arrogant smile at the prosecution and grabbed his meal.

"Just watch me." He only said.

Larry took his first slice of pizza, rolled it and slid it inside his mouth. He did the same thing for the other slice then drank all his orange juice in a single gulp. The two attorneys were astonished by the show. They all returned to court where Larry continued his testimony.

"After analysing your testimony, I find you not guilty for the heinous crime of turning the Grassland population into dry creatures. However, to make sure the verdict doesn't change, I want you to finish your testimony. Plus, you still have to explain how you got the orange wand."

"Very well. The guards put me in a prison cell in the basement. I fell asleep so I missed parts of the big day. Once I woke up, the sun was rising."

"Hold it! How did you know the sun was rising?"

"The cell I was put in was in the east wing. There was a window in my cell and I looked through it. I could see the sun in the distance. I noticed a dry creature passing by but I fell off the window because it scared me. So, I broke out by picking the lock with a hairpin I had in my hairs and one of my claws."

"Hold it! You had belongings on you despite being incarcerated?"

"I wasn't arrested for a crime. I was only put inside for the duration of the meeting so they allowed me to keep my belongings but I barely had anything on me. Once I got out, I wanted to make sure the person I was escorting was still there. I saw all those dry creatures and I had to fend my way through them by fighting. I found who I was looking for but he was turned into a dry monster. I tried fighting him but it cover itself with a dense blue cloud and slashed me. I tried to escape but fell and I couldn't get up because the wound was too severe."

"Hold it! You were treated by a doctor so this means that there might be a report on said wound, right?"

"I guess. If there is, the doctor would have it."

The judge called the doctor in who gave him the report. The two attorneys read the report but the prosecutor quickly continued. Judging by how little time he spent to read the report, he wanted to jump into a conclusion and send Larry behind the bars.

"Objection! The wound was nowhere deep enough to cause excruciating pain to prevent you from getting up or make you pass out. You must have faked it to infiltrate our building. "

"Objection! The report mentions the presence of a strange blue substance in his blood. This might be what prevented him to get up with ease and caused him to pass out. It's also a miracle that he just collapsed instead of turning into one of those dry monsters which brings me to my next question: How did you not turn?"

"The doctor said something about me having purple blood cells in my veins."

The doctor left the room and returned with a microscope. He showed to the two attorneys the blood sample he got from Larry. The doctor then explained that those purple blood cells did prevent him to turn but were not in a quantity large enough to prevent him from collapsing. The defendant continued.

"How did you get those blood cells?"

"I'm not sure but I have a theory."

"Objection! I want facts, not a mere theory!"

"Prosecutor! It's not up to you to decide what is what until you heard his answer. Go ahead, accuser." The judge declared as he slammed his hammer.

"The doctor told me that, by the amount he found in my veins, the purple blood cells started this weekend. Coincidentally, I was vaccinated for an unknown disease this weekend."

"Hold it! You were vaccinated this weekend? How is it that it doesn't show on your vaccination certificate? Who vaccinated you? Also, was there anyone else vaccinated for said disease?"

"First, as I said, it was for an unknown disease so the vaccine was mostly a prototype unsure if it would actually work which is why it doesn't appear on my vaccine certificate. It's also to be noticed that I received it very recently and I doubt that the person in charge of modifying the information had time to do so. As for the person who vaccinated, you might not believe me but it was King Bowser who sent me being vaccinated by an uncredited doctor. There were indeed other people vaccinated for this unknown disease such as royalty members and a few of Bowser's elite troops including me."

"Objection! Unless you have the complete list with you, and in the form of an actual document, your statement is…"

"Now now, boys! There's no need to be so heated up for that."

Larry recognized the voice. Everyone looked at the room's entrance and saw an old toad with a white mustache wearing a purple vest with no sleeves and a red bowtie. His mushroom head had brown round spots all over it and he was carrying a cane with its head being the same colors as his but inverted.

"I remember him… Toadsworth…" The punk whispered.

 _On a hot summer day, Larry was playing in a pool with the other koopalings. They were all wearing swimsuits without their shell. Oddly enough, Ludwig was not present. Near the pool, three adults were sitting around a table: a sad Bowser, Princess Peach who seemed to be holding something and caressed it and a young Toadsworth since he had a brown mustache. The young koopaling saw that Bowser was sad and wanted to put a smile on him. He went to a toy box right next to the pool and took out a water gun. He filled it with the pool's water and aimed the gun at bowser's face. He fired and hit his target right where he wanted. The two other adults feared that he might get into an uncontrollable rage but Bowser just chuckled. He stood up, went to Larry and picked him up._

" _Oh Larry! You can never help it to put your nose into my business." He said while smiling._

 _The two other adults joined him to see the little troublemaker. Larry saw that Peach was holding a newborn Bowser Jr._

" _I'm worried that his behaviour might get him into trouble." Toadsworth brought up._

" _I know but I don't want him to change at all. Say, old man, you didn't meet my other kids, right?" Bowser replied while hugging the little punk._

 _The toad nodded sideway to confirm that he indeed did not meet his other children. The giant koopa put Larry down who walked toward the toad._

" _Greetings, little koopa, I am Toadsworth." The toad saluted._

" _And I'm Larry!" The koopaling cheered._

 _Larry immediately got picked up by his father._

" _You know what happens to kids that put their muzzle into my business without permission?" His father asked._

 _Larry knew too well what it meant and prepared himself._

" _And a one, and a two, and a THREE!"_

 _Bowser threw the koopaling high in the air. As Larry flew into the air, the other koopalings saw him and moved aside to make space for his landing. The punk then dove into the pool._

Toadsworth was no stranger to some of Bowser's secrets. He was one of the few non-royalty people to know that the koopa king adopted and raised the koopalings as his own children. He walked toward the center of the room.

"Sir, we are currently in a trial." The prosecutor scolded.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm here to prove that Larry does say the truth about that vaccination thing. I will prove it by allowing the doctor to extract some of my blood. Also, as Peach's royal advisor, I replace her in her absence." The old toad replied.

Without questioning, the doctor took a needle and extracted some of Toadsworth's blood. As Peach's advisor, Toadsworth was in charge of the Mushroom when the princess was absent. After analysing it, he confirmed that it also contains purple blood cells.

"I also have in my possession a list of all the people vaccinated." The old toad continued while giving the judge some papers.

The two attorneys read the papers. The prosecution was devastated that he could no longer use the infection incident to brand Larry guilty. He would now have to rely on the orange wand theft and this would be a piece of cake to brand the accuser guilty.

"With all this information, I confirm that the accuser, Larry Mulan, is not guilty of the Grassland incident or any related incidents. However, accuser, you still have to explain why you have the orange wand with you."

"Yes. After being wounded, I tried to crawl backward but I hit a bookcase. The orange wand was lying on it."

"Hold it! The wand wasn't in the Goomba King's possession? Also, where was the king when all that happened?"

"The king was nowhere to be found in the castle. Not even his dry version was here."

"We don't have to worry about him being turned yet, accuser. Please, proceed."

"The wand landed in my hands and it fired a bolt of energy toward the monster destroying it."

"Hold it! You were able to not only wield the orange wand but also use it?"

"Objection! The accuser is no royalty. He's clearly bluffing!"

"Objection! Larry is a one-of-a-kind person. He might be royalty which…"

"Enough!" Larry shouted.

Larry stood up from his wheelchair infuriated and slammed his desk with his hands. The court was shocked.

"I'm going to ask you all a single question and I want an answer: What is an ATHLEAN?"

Everyone in the room was shocked to hear this word. Just their reaction was enough to confirm something to the punk: that he was not supposed to be alive. Even the prosecution, the one always so eager to take a shot at him, had nothing to say. Curiously, Toadsworth was not surprised to hear this let alone from Larry.

"Who called you that, accuser?" The judge asked.

"The Goomba King called me an athlean when I accidentally held his wand a long time ago."

The answer disturbed the judge even more. He abruptly decided to close the case and lift Larry of any responsibility he could have with the theft. The koopaling did not understand anything but, for some reason, it did not matter to him. He was free and he could start his mission after wasting so much time in court. He then left the court like everyone else and went to speak with Toadsworth.

"Thanks for saving my shell back there." He said to the old toad.

"You're welcome but may I ask you a favor?" The toad replied.

"Shoot."

"Princess Toadstool is still alive but she is stuck inside the Mushroom castle. I was able to escape the dry creatures but she had to stay behind. Would you mind giving me a hand to secure the castle? I would have have done the job myself but, with my old age, I lost my fighting spirit. I heard that you found a horde all by yourself."

"You're not scared of someone like me after what I said back there?"

"Listen. I know what an athlean is and I'll gladly tell you all I know about it if you help me."

"I was planning to check on my family but, yeah, I'll help you."

His curiosity won over his mission. He HAD to know what he was and why there were many things he could do while the others could not and why everyone was so afraid of him when he brought the word up.

"Excellent! Meet me at the cafeteria in ten minutes."

Larry went to the cafeteria. He was very anxious that we would finally get an answer about his true identity that was hidden from him since his birth. The time of waiting was at its end and he would finally get a grasp on his true potential.


	4. Chapter 1-3

**Chapter 1-3: Retaking the Capital**

A few minutes later, Toadsworth arrived in the cafeteria with a group of four toads. They were wearing blue coats with scarves of the same color. One of them, who wore a special badge, was the captain. The old toad stood up on a table.

"May I have your attention, please?" The toad said.

Everyone looked at him.

"As the princess' advisor, I will go back to the castle with the blue rescue team to retake the castle from the dry creatures. I wish I could bring all of you right now but, to avoid needless casualties, I will ask you to stay here while we secure the castle. Once done, we will move all of you into the castle." The old toad explained

Once his speech done, he approached Larry who was sitting next to one of the further tables.

"You said I had to stay to avoid needless casualties." Larry jokingly said with a grin.

Toadsworth chuckled. He was used to Larry's odd sense of humor. In fact, he was used to the punk in general. The latter had been living in Grassland since the peace treaty and would often go to the Mushroom castle. He occasionally visited him and the princess.

"Come with me. I know a secret passage that leads directly to the castle." The old toad replied.

As soon as they left the cafeteria, a voice called for them.

"Wait! Can I ask you a favor?"

The doctor rushed in to the meet the group.

"Can I get a blood donation from one of the two vaccinated patients?" He asked.

"I would like to but my type is AB+." Toadsworth announced.

"I can donate. Mine's O." Larry gladly answered.

The doctor was overjoyed when he heard Larry's type. His type allowed to donate blood to everyone but could only receive from the same type. They headed into a makeshift clinic where the koopaling donated blood to the doctor.

"Thanks for the donation, sir. You action will save many people in the future. However, due to your specie, I need to rework the sample you gave to make it safe for toads." The doctor told him.

After that, the koopaling received a lollipop. Larry then followed the group to the basement. He soon realized that he was in a courthouse will all the bookcase containing folders on different cases that went on trial. There also a huge safe door at the end of the room. Toadsworth went to it and turned the wheels. After a few spins, the safe opened, revealing a tunnel.

"Do any of you have brought light?" Toadsworth asked to the group.

The rescue toads searched in their backpacks to pull out flashlight. The captain ordered his team to check their batteries. All seemed fine. Larry, however, did not bring a flashlight but had an idea on his own. He pulled the orange wand and waved it around. The wand provided a stronger light than all the flashlights together. The toads were amazed by what the koopaling could do with the royal artifact. It was then decided that Larry would provide light while the group travelled through the tunnel.

"Say, old man, how did you get out of the castle?" Larry asked.

"Well, it's a bit embarrassing. Before the meeting, the princess and I got locked into the princess' room by some of Bowser's minions. We could not open the door because something seemed to be holding it even if we unlocked it. We fell asleep for unknown reason and, once we woke up, it was complete silence. We tried to open the door again and it worked but we quickly closed it when we saw all those monsters roaming in the next room. We had to come up with a plan to escape so we took the blanket from the bed and some clothes and we made a rope. We threw it out the window and I climbed it down. Peach wanted to come too but she was pulled away and released the rope making me unable to climb back up. Good thing I was almost done climbing down the rope but I fear that something might have happened to her." Toadsworth explained.

"Do you think Bowser is behind this incident?"

"I doubt it. Bowser would never go that far. If he wanted to do something "evil", he would just kidnap the princess and try to marry her."

They kept walking until they reached a dead end. The old toad pushed a brick and the wall opened itself. The group found itself in the dungeon. The cells were obviously empty. They went to the only door the dungeon had. The stairs led to a set of corridors where many dry creatures were wandering around. Those ones used to be toads, guards and servants, but they did not have the mushroom-like head. Their head was much smaller without the mushroom on it. The rescue toads pulled nightsticks out of their backpacks.

"I would like to help you secure the castle but, with my old age, I lost my fighting spirit." Toadsworth declared.

The group discussed about a plan. The rescue team was to secure the corridors up until they reached the main hall while Larry and Toadsworth would explore the castle to check on the princess. The plan was set in motion. The rescue team started fighting the toad while doing so safely to not get hurt by them. If it happened, it was done for them. There would be no turning back and they would turn into dry monsters. The two others left the corridors and climbed many stairs. On the way, they encountered dry creatures but it was no big deal for Larry's fighting skills. They suddenly started hearing fighting that came from upstairs. They followed the sound until they reached a large blue room with a giant grandfather clock. Many of the dry creatures inside were already defeated. They noticed that someone was fighting more of those monsters. Once it was done, the person turned back and saw the two other survivors. This person was a princess: she was wearing a long and beautiful pink robe with a cyan gem necklace around her neck. She had long blond hairs and was wearing a crown on the head. She also wore long white gloves that covered her arms entirely.

"I remember… Princess Toadstool… Peach…" Larry whispered.

 _I was late at night, only a week after their adoption. The koopalings where playing in the living room with various toys when they heard voices. They recognized Bowser's voice but could not tell who the other person was. They suddenly stopped playing and listened to the voices._

" _I can't believe my dad forced me to see you after you kidnapped me years ago."_

" _I know. It's a bit ridiculous from your father to ask you such thing but you'll notice that the atmosphere around here changed a lot."_

" _Oh really? Let me guess. You bought more soldiers to kidnap me again."_

" _Nope!"_

" _You kidnapped the Mario brothers?"_

" _Nuh-uh!"_

 _The footstep came closer to the door. The koopalings stood up and gathered around the closed door where the voices came from. They were curious to see who the other person, the one their father was talking to, was._

" _I would like you to meet…"_

 _The door opened with both Bowser and a princess entering the room._

"… _my CHILDREN!" Bowser said._

 _The princess gasped after seeing the seven kids gathered around them. Bowser moved behind his children and sent the blue haired one with a single tooth coming out of his mouth._

" _This is Ludwig. He's my oldest child at ten years old."_

 _Ludwig did not say anything but he bowed down to the princess. He preferred that over just saying hi. Bowser sent the kid that stood on a ball._

" _This is Lemmy. Despite being the shortest, he's nine years old."_

" _Hi!" Lemmy said while waving both hands._

 _Lemmy did not have orange lines tattooed on the back of his head or a ponytail when he was younger. The king sent the big kid with the sunglasses._

" _This is our boy, Roy. He's eight years old and the strongest of his siblings."_

" _Hey!" Roy said while tipping his sunglasses._

 _It was one of the very few times where someone could see his eyes but Roy did not remove them long enough to allow anyone enough time to see his eyes color. Bowser then sent the kid with the big glasses._

" _This is Iggy. He's seven years old and the smartest of my kids."_

" _Hello!" Iggy nervously said while waving a single hand._

 _At the time, Iggy had the same haircut as Lemmy with the same coloration too. Bowser sent his only daughter._

" _This is Wendy. She's six years old and my only daughter."_

" _Evening!" Wendy said._

 _Bowser sent the kid with a darker skin than the others._

" _This is Morton. He's five years old."_

" _HI!" Morton shouted._

 _King Bowser sent his last child. Larry was timid and scared. He used to be a victim of his siblings and was still afraid of them. He slowly walked to the princess and looked at her face. This beautiful sight reassured him. He smiled at her._

" _At last but least, this is Larry. He's the youngest at four years old."_

 _Larry had four fangs coming out of his mouth and no star tattoo on his head. Despite his age, he was not able to speak so he only waved at her._

" _Alright, kids, this is Peach, the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. I wish she could spend some time with us but we have things do to. Keep playing with your toys while the princess and I discuss about adult stuff. Maybe if it's not too late you can play with her." The king said._

 _The two adults left the living room. The koopalings returned to their toys but Larry had to go to the bathroom. After that, he heard voices, one of them he recognized as Bowser's. He followed the voices until he reached a closed door. He stood next to it and eavesdropped on the conversation._

" _Where did you get them?"_

" _I saw them while doing a play. I went to their orphanage and decided to adopt all of them."_

" _What are you planning with them?"_

" _I only plan to raise them as my children like any other parent would do."_

" _Don't play stupid with me! You obviously know what they are."_

" _Indeed, there are children in need of love and I intend to deliver them what they need."_

" _Don't you dare fool me, you big fat turtle! They are the members of the royal families thought extinct."_

" _I do not know what you are talking about."_

" _Don't pretend you've been living under a rock for all those years!"_

" _I will have you know that I was not raised among society, far away from any civilization, so there are still many things I do not know about the world. Also, I never had any real parents of my own. I was raised by Kamek but I could never see him as a father or at least a father figure. He only cared that I would ascend to the Koopa throne so he did not raise me as his child. You have to understand that I only want to bring to them something I never received in my childhood: love."_

 _Someone quickly stood up inside. The door abruptly opened almost crushing Larry behind it. He withdrew in his shell, afraid to be crushed. He saw the princess walking away fast. She turned back._

" _One day, I'll expose you and your plan on retaking the continent! You'll see!" The princess furiously said as she left into the corridor and vanished._

 _Bowser slowly tried to walk toward her while Larry was still hiding behind the door. He stopped walking. The princess was already too far for him to catch up anyway but he did not mind. He had something else in mind. The punk slowly emerged out of his shell without making any noise._

" _How much did you hear?" The king randomly asked._

 _He was not directly looking at the koopaling but the latter knew that he was speaking to him. He started trembling. Even if he could speak, he would not be able to. The king slowly turned back and went toward his child. He picked him up._

" _It's time to go to bed." King Bowser sighed._

 _They went to the bedrooms where all the other koopalings were already in their bed awaiting Bowser to kiss them goodnight. Bowser entered Larry's room and put the child in his bed._

" _When you'd be able to speak, I'd have some jobs for you." He said out of nowhere._

 _Larry was not sure what he was talking about. Why would his father offer a job to him at such a young age? Maybe those jobs would just be chores like tidying his bedroom or helping the servants to wash the dishes. The king kissed him on the forehead and went to the doorframe._

" _Goodnight, my little koopaling." He whispered._

 _He turned off the light and closed the door. The room went pitch black. Larry was still concerned about what Peach said regarding him and his siblings. It took him some time before he could get to sleep._

It took a while before Peach was finally convinced that Bowser finally changed for the better and that he was raising the koopalings as his own children. Over the years, she occasionally visited the king and his family. Those visits however reduced in frequency when Bowser had a new child. The princess walked toward Larry and Toadsworth thanking them for coming to her rescue. The group went downstairs to meet up with the rescue team. Everyone was fine which was a miracle considering how easy it was to get infected.

"We secured everything from here to the basement." The captain reported.

"Very good! It's now time to escort the toads from the courthouse to here. Use the secret passage to do so." Toadsworth replied.

The rescue team left the main hall. The old toad looked at the punk.

"To hold my side of the bargain, I'll tell you everything I know about athleans."

"Are you sure it is a good idea?" The princess asked.

"He has to so he can understand why he is able to wield and use the orange wand. He is old enough to know the truth. To start out, Athlean is one of the eight royal drakoopa families that descended from the Creator. They used to rule the seven lands and the Koopa Kingdom a long time ago. Your family was ruler of Grassland which explains why you are able to use the orange wand. Athleans are also known to be very athletic and know a unique sign language that they use to communicate confidential information. No one was able to fully translate their sign language since it derives significantly from the standard one. They mastered at least one sport and were expert at many others. Athleans often worked as spies starting at a minimal age of five."

"What happened to them? Why am I the only one around?" Larry asked.

"A conflict erupted between the royal families causing them to fight each other to death. The weakened ones were betrayed by the people of their own lands thus ending the Era of Drakoopas. I am still not sure how Bowser, you and the others survived and I am even more confused that Bowser has a pure-bred child. That is all I know."

The koopaling nodded. His curiosity was finally fulfilled but this added more questions to his mind. Though Toadsworth already told him everything he knew, maybe someone else in Amarioca would be able to answer those new questions. Was he always named Larry? What caused the drakoopas to fight each other? The princess approached him.

"To thank you, I want to offer you a place to stay for the time we successfully rebuild our kingdoms. You can choose the room that you like the most."

The princess showed the koopalings all the rooms she could lend him. In the end, Larry chose a door with a star on it. Unlike the others doors, which also had the star as well as a number, his choice did not have one. Inside, the room had a king-sized bed placed under a giant portrait depicting marching bob-ombs. While he was installing himself in his room, he overheard a conversation between Peach and Toadsworth. Larry went to his door and slightly opened it.

"Toadsworth, I want to thank you for all the help you brought through all those years."

"You're welcome, your highness, but I am only doing my job."

"I know that but you're growing quite old and I feel that you should slow down a bit."

"I'm sorry, your highness, I wish I could but the job of an advisor does not stop at saving her highness. It goes far beyond that."

"I know but you've been working for the kingdom since my father was on the throne. I simply wish that do you not risk your life too much. You don't have to do everything for me. At your old age, you should just be at my side."

"But who will be out there to supply us? Who will go to protect and serve the ones in need?"

"Toadsworth, we have plenty of people that can do all of that."

"I presume you are right, your highness. I guess I could step down a little bit and leave the harder tasks to the young ones."

They both left upstairs. The koopaling decided to go upstairs too. The second floor was just a balcony for the main hall. Three doors were on the second floor: One to the left led to a kitchen, one to the right had a dining room behind it and the double door in the middle led to the third floor. Larry took the double door and went up some spiral stairs. The third floor contained a big room with two doors and more stairs that led to the princess' throne room and bedroom. The first door led to a barrack where visitors and guards could reside while the other door was Toadsworth's room. The koopaling spotted Toadsworth sitting down on a chair next to a chess table while reading a book. The punk sat down on the other side of the chess table.

"Wanna play some chess?" Larry asked.

The old toad chuckled. He played chess many times against anyone that dared to underestimate his skill due to his old age. He put the book away and looked at the punk.

"Sure thing but I'll have you know that I'm a champion at chess." He replied.

They started a game of chess that lasted for dozens of minutes. Toadsworth was expecting to finish the game with a few moves but his opponent proved to be cleverer than he anticipated. Never in his career as a chess champion has he played against someone that made him struggle so much and rethink all his strategies. His opponent always seemed to have the perfect counter against the champion. Eventually…

"Checkmate!" Larry declared.

Toadsworth was baffled. He was beaten at his own game to someone he played against for the first time.

"How did you do that? How long have you been playing chess?" The old toad asked.

"I don't rely on my chess experience to play because I barely played chess in my entire life. I instead analyse my troops and yours and rely on those two factors to take action." His opponent answered.

"It all makes sense then. The way you play chess does not reflect on the experience with the game but on your leadership. You used the strategies that you learned from leading your siblings and put them against me. I never though a mere game would reflect so much on real life things. I'll admit defeat but one day I'll beat you and claim back my title of champion."

"You never lost your title. We were just playing a friendly game of chess."

Larry stood up and headed downstairs. The old toad followed him. The rescue team came back with a few toads and was about to lead them to the barrack upstairs. The koopaling headed to the main entrance.

"What are you doing, Master Larry?" Toadsworth asked.

"I'll first clean the courtyard a little bit then take a walk in town. Besides, someone has to step up to resupply the people, right?"

The old toad was surprised that someone overheard his conversation with the princess. The koopaling left the castle.


	5. Chapter 1-4

**Chapter 1-4: The first trip in town**

As soon as Larry left the castle…

"Wait! I want to give you something." Peach's voice said.

The koopaling turned back and saw Peach holding a sidepack. She gave it to him.

"If you ever see anything interesting like food or tools, you can store them in the bag and bring everything here. Also, I made you a small lunch." The princess told him.

Larry nodded and they both left their way. Larry already put the orange wand in the sidepack. The sun was rising down as he cleared the courtyard a bit by breaking the dry toads scattered all around. Once his job done, he proceeded toward the gate. Instead of opening it, he took a ladder from the gardener's cabin and put it along the castle's wall that surrounded it. He then climbed the ladder and jumped across he wall. He was used to fall high heights without getting himself hurt. Once on the other side, he walked to the Mushroom city.

The city was in an even worse state than the castle but that might have been because the remaining survivors started breaking into stores and houses and scavenge everything they deemed useful. What used to be a happy place for parents and children to play and enjoy all the stores and attractions the city housed became ruins of its former glory invaded by the deaths. He walked for a few minutes, ignoring the dry creatures roaming around town, and spotted a tool shop. The door was already broken open so he did not have to struggle picking the lock. A hairpin might be useful for lockpicking but it was far from ideal compared to actual lockpicks. Maybe the store still had a few scattered around inside.

Larry went in to see that there had not much left inside. He did however notice objects of interest: a few sport tools sturdy enough to be used as weapons and ideal for survivors that are not vaccinated yet. After minutes of searching, he eventually found a small toolbox that contained lockpicks of all imaginable sizes. He thought to himself that all the survivors that left that behind for deeming them useless were brainless idiots. He had a bad habit of speaking bluntly toward other people, even his siblings. He took the toolbox and put it in his sidepack. He could however not do the same for most sport tools because they were too big for the bag so he held them in his hands. Before leaving the store, he noticed a working clock. Looking at it, it was six 'o'clock. Larry sat down and pulled out the lunch Peach told him about. It was a tuna sandwich and a bottle of water. He remembered a line he used to say at the Freestyle Fighting Festival every time he started a match against a new opponent.

(I'm gonna cook you up a tuna-fist sandwich.) He thought.

He still remembered his fight against the grandmaster of fighting. He was told by the other participants that they could not even react as the grandmaster already knocked them out when the match just started. Many people were impressed that Larry was the one who was actually able of attempting to fight the champion. Alas, he did not win. After lunch, he stood up and left the store but not before removing all the price tags. He had to or he would trigger the alarm of the store and all the dry creatures would go after him if he did not remove the price tags. He kept walking down the street, still ignoring the monsters. They were not in his way after all and he suspected that more of them might come back. He used to read many zombie books in the Koopa castle's library and already had an idea of what he should be doing if such incident would ever happen. He did however care for his look as he neared a clothing shop. Every time he went to the bathroom, he would always comb his hairs to make them keep their style. The door was left untouched so it was locked. Not many people would care for clothes other than not stink in them. Plus, the shop sold expensive clothes unlike the more regular and cheaper ones other shops would sell. Fortunately, with his new tools, Larry was able to pick the lock and enter the store without a single dry creature following him.

Once inside, he noticed all the clothes hanging from their display: Shirts, pants, ties and even shoes. The koopaling searched inside the clerk's abandoned desk to take a small object. This object would allow him to remove price tags on clothes thus preventing the alarm to trigger when he would leave the store with his products. He browsed the many clothes that were available in the store. After a few minutes, he finally made his choice. He took a black jacket with purple pants and a cyan tie. He then placed himself in front of a mirror while wearing the clothes he chose. He did not tuck the shirt under his pants. He loved the new look he gave himself so he kept the clothes on. He heard some footsteps coming from outside. Someone was nearby.

"Hello? Yeah it's Popple, see? Listen, I have a question to ask you, see? If the place where you work gets destroyed, would you still work there? No? Okay then. I'll come back home, see? WHAT!? The continent is on lockdown!? WHY!? Something happened? Wait! Obeanie put a lockdown on the destroyed continent!? WHY!? It makes no sense, see? So you're telling me I'm stuck here? When will they lift the lockdown? PROBABLY NEVER!? So I'll have to establish myself in this junkyard!? Wait! Don't go, see!?"

A screech of anger came from outside the store. Larry crouched, crawled toward the windows and slowly looked outside. He saw the stranger that referred himself as Popple. He was a small green humanoid roughly the same height as Larry with round completely yellow eyes and seemed to be always grinning. He was wearing black pants that also covered his feet, a white and purple stripped shirt with long sleeves, white gloves, a purple bandanna that went on his eyes and covered the top half of his face and a black beret. A few green hairs went out of his hat. He was also carrying a giant bag over his shoulder. The expression on his face went over the top as his eyes and grin grew so big that they could not fit on his face anymore. The humanoid threw what seemed to be a phone on the ground out of frustration then stomped it repeatedly. He then screamed of terror and his face reverted to normal after quickly realizing that he broke his only way to communicate with his kingdom. Many dry creatures heard the scream and headed toward him. He started panicking. Larry had to intervene so he rushed outside to lend him a hand.

"Who are you?!" The stranger asked.

"No time to explain. Here, grab a driver!" The koopaling replied.

At two, they made quick job of the horde. The stranger seemed to be used to fight with a weapon. He had no trouble breaking the dry creatures. His anger fueled his strength and he disintegrated the monsters with a single blow. Larry fought with his fists as usual. After the fight, they caught back their breath.

"Thanks for saving me, see? But why would you do that?" The stranger asked.

"You were in danger so I helped you." Larry simply answered.

"You do know that I'm a thief, see?"

"Doesn't matter… Though, you just gave me an idea where to put your skills to good use."

"Right now, I'm looking for a place to stay, see?"

"Don't worry about that. I know a place where you can stay."

"Great! Where is it?"

"The Mushroom castle."

"No way! That's amazing, see!?"

"But first, we need to find some food."

"Oh I know, see!? Let's go all the building we see."

"We only have time for one building today before it gets too dark. I hope you have a flashlight."

"I got your back, see? By the way, I'm Popple."

"Call me Larry."

Popple picked up his broken phone and put it in his bag. He would have to find a new way to communicate with whoever he was in contact with or find someone that could fix his phone. They headed to the first building they saw without looking at the storefront. Popple pulled a crowbar out of his bag and was about to smash a window to break in. Larry grabbed the crowbar to prevent him of doing so.

"What do you think you're doing?" The punk scolded.

"Don't you see I'm going to break in?" The burglar answered.

"You know there are more silent and better ways to break in without attracting attention, right?"

"Hum…"

The burglar made a grin which showed how embarrassed he was for not knowing that despite being a burglar. It was obvious that Popple only broke and entered by smashing his way inside buildings. His behavior was too dangerous for the current situation and someone would have to teach him how to control himself and minimize the amount of noise he would do.

"Let me handle that." Larry told to his new friend.

The koopaling went at the door and picked the lock. The green guy was impressed to see that the punk did not even make a single sound or break anything to break in. They then entered the store to notice it was a toy shop.

"A toy shop!? There's nothing of interest here, see?" Popple complained.

"There might be a second floor that houses an apartment. Let's take a look." Larry brought up.

They got to work of searching for supplies. Popple spotted the stairs and immediately went upstairs. Larry, on the other hand, stayed on the ground floor to make sure no one would ambush them. He slowly walked around inside while looking at all the dolls, plushes and other toys that sat down on the shelves. Those toys might never see the light of the day or end up in children's hands. They would probably remain here forever. He then noticed a giant toy box in a corner of the store. Out of curiosity, he opened it. A strong light came from inside. Larry took a glance inside but the light blinded him and he was dragged inside.

He woke up in a small bright and colorful room that looked like a daycare. A soothing melody from a music box was playing. Four babies were playing with toys and drawing things on sheets of papers. Larry recognized one of them to be a very young Peach. He approached the children. The babies noticed him and were excited to see him here. They all stood up and went to see him. They had a little difficulty to walk on their feet but they managed to reach the punk.

"What are you doing here?" A voice spoke.

Larry turned toward the voice. He saw a green and white dinosaur with a big round nose, red spikes on the back of its head and a saddle on its back. It also wore red boots.

"Excuse me, I was looking into a toy box and I ended up here." Larry answered.

"I see."

"Where are we?"

"We are in multiple memory fragments shared by the five people that made the toy box."

"Five people? So that includes the babies and you?"

"I am but a fragment of their memory. I did not build the toy box with them."

"Then who's the fifth person?"

The dinosaur did not say anything. He instead looked behind the koopaling. The latter turned back and saw an imposing iron door with "Keep out!" written on it. The fact that such door was in a daycare-like environment seemed very out of place.

"The fifth one resides behind this door. All the visitors chose not to open it in fear of having to confront it and left this world."

"There were other people before me? Also, there's a way to get out of this place?"

"Indeed, many people visited this world. To leave it, you must play with the four babies present here."

Larry's curiosity took over him. He had to check what was behind it and to understand why such message was written on it. He went toward the door and grabbed the handle.

"May the dragons have mercy on your soul." The memory prayed before attending the babies.

Those last words slightly disturbed the koopaling but he made his choice. He opened the door and found himself in a completely grey room. The mood went from joyful to depressing. The only sound in the background was the laments of a baby. The room was almost empty save for a baby that looked like Bowser Jr and…

"Arch mage Kamek?" He said.

The magikoopa was trying to teach the baby something but it did not seem to be good for the baby. When he heard his name, Kamek looked at Larry, surprised. He was not expecting to see him here.

"Huh? Who's there? An athlean!? How do you know my name?"

Larry did not answer but he was interested that Kamek knew what an athlean was. He would have to find him in the real world and confront him with this word. Kamek was however exited to see him for some reason.

"It doesn't matter. At least, another drakoopa family still lives. Come, join me and let us retake what belongs to us!" He proposed.

"I'm not here to join you." Larry replied.

"I'm not giving you a choice. That's an order!"

"I won't follow it! There's a baby crying here and you don't even take care of him properly."

"You mean love and joy? Those are meaningless compared to power! Bowser must become the most powerful king!" Kamek mocked.

Judging the place, Larry realized that the fifth person that partook into creating this toy box was his father Bowser. This was how he saw his childhood. He already knew that Kamek was the one who raised the koopa king and, with the look of the room, it must have been a painful experience for Bowser.

"You won't get any by force that's for sure." Larry pointed out.

"We'll see about that." Kamek said, smile on his face.

The magikoopa summoned a wand and fired a blast of energy at him. Larry swiftly dodged the missile and pulled the orange wand out of his bag.

"You have the orange wand with you!? I guess it's time for desperate measures." He declared as he covered his entire body with magic dust from his wand.

The dust turned into blue flames that covered the magikoopa. The flames grew bigger and forced their way through the walls and the ceiling. They all broke, showing the stellar dark sky. The flames went out, revealing a giant skeletal monster. It hovered over the emptiness in the sky. The memory fragment that welcomed the guest came in to help Larry.

"You have to use something impactful and aim for the head!" The memory advised.

Larry did not have such object but he thought that he could perhaps make one with the orange wand.

"I'll try to make and object big enough to destroy him. Can you distract the monster?" Larry said.

"Will do!"

The memory teased the monster by stomping on its giant hands. The koopaling put all his concentration to the orange wand. He then flailed it around hoping he would be able to summon something. Unlucky for him, the memory fragment got caught by the monster and thrown into the infinite sky. The monster then raised a hand and tried to crush Larry. A toy hit the monster in the face getting its attention. The monster saw that it was the crying baby who threw the toy at him. It went for the baby and readied a fist. Larry saw that and gasped as he saw that the monster was about to crush the baby. He tried to fire a bolt of energy to it but, with how terrified he was at the moment, he missed and instead hit the baby. He was devastated to see that he might have accidently destroyed the fifth builder. He kneeled down and was about to cry for failing to protect a child that could have been Junior.

"What have I done? How could this happen?" He stuttered due to himself crying while staring at the light that used to be the baby.

The light grew bigger but Larry did not pay attention to it. Neither did he pay attention to the monster that was about to crush him. If it really happened, Larry would never be able to endure the burden of his own actions and his sadness would overwhelm his determination. As the monster swung his arms toward the devastated athlean, he was abruptly interrupted by…

"Bowser!?" The koopaling shouted as he saw that his magic gave the baby strength to fight the monster.

The light grew into a silhouette that looked like an adult Bowser. The fight took a while but the monster was finally destroyed. Larry slowly stood up as the silhouette shrank back into the baby. Sadness became joy but the koopaling did not understand how it happened. He did not care though. He was glad that the monster was gone and the baby was safe.

"You sure are full of surprises, young boy." He complimented while wiping the tears off his face.

The baby looked at him innocently and opened his arms. Larry took him in his and hugged him.

"You remind me of…" The punk started whispering.

 _Larry was awakened by a child crying one night. Despite having earplugs, he did not wear them like his older siblings. He wanted to be aware of his surroundings while he was sleeping in case that something bad happened in the castle. He slowly got off his bed and looked at clock. It was midnight, the perfect time to sneak around without attracting too much attention. He left his room. No guards were present as he walked down the halls toward the source of the cries. It did not come from one of his siblings' room but deeper into the castle. He made his way to the throne room and walked behind the throne to enter a corridor. As he was about to reach the source, he heard loud footsteps from the opposite direction. He hid behind one of the many armor displays placed along the corridor. He slowly peeked out of his hiding spot and saw Kamek walking into a room and almost closing the door behind him. Larry went to the door and heard two voices that he recognized._

" _I don't know what to do, Kamek. I tried everything and he's still crying."_

" _Let me he…"_

" _I WILL NOT LET YOU RAISE HIM!"_

" _But, your highness, you need help."_

" _I won't let him commit the same mistake as I did. I won't let him be raised by some old hack that only cared about power."_

" _Is that how you see your childhood, you inconsiderate brat?"_

" _Because that's how YOU raised ME! You didn't give me love as a real father would do."_

 _The dispute went on and on. Larry had to find a way to make them stop but he could not show himself or he would get into big trouble. He however got the idea: calm down the baby. He snuck inside the room and hid under the baby's bed. The room was a small nursery for the newborn with everything it needed to raise the baby until he would become a child. The two adults were too busy to notice that the door opened more than usual. Under the bed, Larry noticed a pacifier. Maybe the baby lost it and was crying because he could not find it anymore. The koopaling took it and climbed the bed. He showed the pacifier to the baby and gently put it in the baby's mouth. The cries died down and Larry went back hiding under the bed. The two adults stopped disputing._

" _The baby calmed down?" Kamek said._

 _The magikoopa approached the bed to see a sleeping baby. He noticed that the baby was sucking his pacifier._

" _I see. He just wanted his…"_

" _Get out." Bowser told him._

 _Kamek turned back and slowly moved away from the baby's bed._

" _But, your highness, I was not going to…"_

" _Get. Out." The king repeated._

 _He used his imposing body to slowly push the magician to the door. Kamek nervously nodded and left the room. All Larry needed to do was to wait after his father to leave it too. But the latter instead kneeled down to the bed._

" _Come out, Larry. I know you're here." Bowser said._

 _Larry got caught. The koopaling had no choice but to come out of his hiding spot. He slowly stood up and looked at his father. Bowser was not pleased to see Larry here especially not now given that it was late in the night and Larry was supposed to be in bed._

" _What are you doing awake at this hour? And don't tell me you were going to the bathroom because there's exactly one right next to your room." Bowser muttered._

" _I'm sorry, daddy. I heard Junior crying and I wanted to calm him down." The punk answered._

" _I don't need help from anyone. Are we clear about this?"_

" _Daddy, you can't just do everything yourself. I can help. The other siblings can help too."_

 _Larry saw Bowser showing his set of teeth. He covered his eyes with his hands fearing that his father might hurt him. He heard cries again but they did not come from the baby. He peeked through his hands and saw his father crying. Bowser took the koopaling in his arms and hugged him._

" _Thank you." He whispered._

 _They both left the nursery and headed toward Larry's room._

" _Is Kamek our granddaddy?" Larry asked._

" _No, he's just some crazy old man that does not care about love." Bowser lied._

 _Bowser put his son in his bed, kissed him goodnight and closed the door. The room went pitch black. Larry did not sleep yet. He thought about why Bowser would not admit to him and his siblings that Kamek raised him. He slowly fell asleep._

Larry brought the baby to the door and opened it. He was shocked to see that the memory was back.

"Wait! I thought you were…" Larry started.

"I'm a memory. I can't die by normal means." The memory said.

"Another question: How is it that when I accidently blasted the baby with my magic, he turned into Bowser."

"In this world, everything works metaphorically. He is dear to you meaning that everything you do would be beneficial to him."

The koopaling was not sure to understand it but he put the baby koopa down so he could play with the other babies. As Larry checked on them, he started losing feeling of the floor. He then realized that he was slowly floating away.

"It is now time for you to leave. Goodbye, my friend." The memory bid.

The babies waved goodbye to Larry. The koopaling could only do the same. A light blinded him.

"You have done what others would not dare to. You have put your life in peril to save a lost soul from a monster. You truly possess a pure heart and would be worthy to become a memory to the world. Do not walk out of this path and always remember to care and show gratitude to the ones you hold dear. It is goodbye for now, my friend. We will meet again in a distant future." A voice echoed.

Larry woke up inside the toy box. It was empty save for a wooden doll. The doll was wearing a blue bonnet with a yellow key on it like the ones seen on some toys. A blue and yellow cape surrounded almost the entirety of its wooden body. It also seemed to have orange hairs made out of tissue like the clothes it was wearing. Larry took the doll and left the toy box.

"Larry! Larry! You wouldn't believe all the food I found, see?" Popple's voice screamed.

Popple rushed downstairs with his bag being bigger than usual. They both left the toy shop and headed to the Mushroom Castle. The moon was already rising and the dry creatures were more aggressive than usual but the survivors could not stay to fight them all. They had to make it back to the castle. They reached the gate. A few toads were stationed on it and opened the giant door. They headed inside. Peach was sitting down on the stairs reading a book. She raised her head and was surprised that Larry brought someone with him.

"I'm back! I brought some tools, food, someone and a doll." Larry said.

"Hum Larry, I appreciate that you did all of this but why did you bring him here?" The princess asked.

"He was looking for someplace to stay."

"You do know that he was doing community services to repay his crimes."

"I had it in my mind but I have an idea for him."

He whispered something to the princess. She was not sure if she could do it but eventually…

"I'll talk to him alone. You're dismissed for tonight."

Larry went to his room but let the door opened to hear the conversation. He wanted to know what Peach would do with Popple.

"What did he say? I hope it wasn't something about scrubbing all the floors in the kingdom, see?"

"He wants you repay your crimes by scavenging for us. I'm a bit hesitant to his proposal but, in times like these, even if we need all the help, we can't blindly trust everyone we see."

"I get it, see? I'll pack my luggage for one of those cells in the dungeon, see?"

"I was planning to send you back to Obeanie."

"I can't, see? They put some sort of lockdown on Amarioca and I can't get out, see?"

Popple seemed more worried than usual when Peach mentioned Obeanie. Why would he want to go back there and not at the same time?

"They did? Do you have something to prove it?"

"Yeah, about that…" Popple started as he showed his broken phone to her.

"Your phone broke? That's terrible."

"Guess I'll go…"

"…Scavenge for more."

"Wait! What!?"

"Please, even if I should not trust everyone on first sight, I know I can count on you for that."

"I…"

"You don't need to say anything. I know you for quite a long time and I'm glad that you're here with us. However, I will have someone to escort you every time you leave the castle walls to make sure you do your job."

"Thanks for letting me stay here, princess!"

They both sat down and changed the subject.

"Have you ever stolen something in your entire life? I know it's odd to ask that to a princess but I'm curious, see?"

"I was six years old and it was mothers' day. I wanted to give a present to my mother so I went to a florist. I took some flowers and immediately left the store."

Popple teased her.

"Oh my! We got a little thief over there, see?"

Peach giggled.

"Luckily, I was with Toadsworth and he stopped me before I went too far. We went back to the florist and paid for the flowers."

"So that wasn't really a thievery?"

"I still got punished for that. Once I gave the flowers to my mother, Toadsworth told everything to my father and he grounded me for the rest of the day."

"It's not like you wanted to steal those flowers, see? You just forgot to pay for them, see?"

"I know but it taught me to pay attention to my surroundings."

Peach stood up and escorted Popple to his room. He took the room on the other side of the hall. Larry closed his door and put the doll next to his bed. As he was about to go to sleep, someone knocked at his door.

"Come in!" The koopaling said.

The door opened and the princess came in.

"Larry, I want to thank you for everything you're doing for us."

"You mean bringing that bean guy here?"

"You also helped us retaking the castle."

"That was the rescue team's doing. Also, Toadsworth was the one leading me to you so I didn't help much around."

"Do not deny every bit of help you brought."

"I'm just telling the truth. I… Sorry, I'm just tired and I'm worried about…"

"…Your family."

"Yes! I didn't even start my search for them. At this point, I'm pretty sure any of my siblings would already be on their way to search for the others, and I'm just here not doing was I was assigned to do in those times. I'm the least professional of my siblings."

"Larry, you're helping everyone you see because you saw that they needed help. This doesn't make you the least professional. You're the most caring in your family. Besides, only searching for your family would be selfish and…"

Larry cracked when Peach claimed that going after his family would be selfish.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FAMILY!? YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SIBLINGS!" Larry yelled.

"Larry, I didn't mean to…"

"Leave me alone!"

The princess immediately left his room. Larry tended to be aggressive and overprotective of his family. His siblings and Bowser were the only family he had and he could not take it when someone spoke lowly of them. He also hated being called selfish. It reminded him of himself when he was younger and he wanted to forget that. He sighed out of frustration and went to sleep.


	6. Chapter 1-5

**Chapter 1-5: A glimpse of hope**

Larry woke up, still bitter from his conversation with Peach yesterday. Someone knocked on his door. He went opening it because he was still too frustrated to tell the person to come in. As he opened the door, he saw the princess holding a dish with eggs and bacon on it. He was not surprised to see her here. He knew that, with what happened yesterday, she would try to apologize.

"Princess Toadstool." He muttered.

"Larry, I wanted to say I'm sorry for yesterday." She said.

The koopaling did not reply but he took the dish and sat on his bed. He first stared at the dish. He was not in the mood to eat right now. The princess sat next to him on the bed.

"Listen, what I really meant is that you seem to underestimate your siblings. You care so much about them that you forget about yourself. What if something happened to you? How do you think your siblings will react?" She continued.

Larry's expression changed from bitter to regretful. It was one of his flaws he did not want to admit publicly. He became selfless because he feared that if he cared for himself once he would end up back in his childhood with his bad habits that he ditched.

"I know, I worry too much about them but they're the only family I have. I know you don't have siblings but, at least, you have grandparents, uncles and aunts. I don't have any of these. I should be the one apologising, not you. Something bad happened and I'm afraid that they might be in danger. I doubt you would've reacted the same way as I did if I told you what you said to me the other day if we spoke about Mario and Luigi." He finally said.

"It's alright. We all sometimes say things without thinking twice. We must not forget to make sure we did not hurt anyone." Peach said back.

Larry was now in a better mood and shoved the plate in his face. He was quite hungry today. After having fought a giant dry creature, he was empty.

"By the way, we received a strange radio signal from the Koopa Kingdom." The princess announced

When he heard about Peach mentioning a radio signal coming from the Koopa Kingdom, Larry removed the plate from his face and turned his head toward her, his mouth full.

"A radio shignal from the Koopa Kingdom?!" He said while chewing.

The princess giggled when she saw the koopaling with his mouth full like a squirrel stocking peanuts for winter. Eventually, the punk swallowed everything and was ready to listen to her.

"Go ahead." Larry gently said.

"I don't think you're fully aware but all the radio towers around Amarioca have been destroyed by some unknown force. We're lucky to catch a radio signal from the Koopa Castle."

"I have to go there! If Bowser and Junior are still around, I must save them!"

"It's a long way to the castle but I know a much faster way to get there."

"How?"

"Through the pipes."

Larry never took the pipe in his whole life. He always preferred taking the train because he could see all the landmarks while travelling. He thought that the only thing that could be seen in pipes was darkness. He was first hesitant at Peach's proposition but eventually he agreed. He had to go check if Bowser and Junior were alright as soon as possible. He followed Peach outside his room. On his way to the pipe, he overheard a conversation between Toadsworth and Popple. The bean guy was sat on the stairs leading to the upper floors while the old toad was standing in front of him.

"For what crimes were you convicted?" Toadsworth asked.

"Stealing, see?"

"Only stealing?"

"Well, I was also convicted for breaking and entering, trespassing, vandalism and rare cases of assault see?"

"Well, at least, it's not as bad as I once did in the military."

"Oooh! A royal advisor committing a crime. That's interesting, see?"

"It was before I became an advisor. I was on service for the mushroom army. I was only a private and I stayed one during all my time in the army. We are usually assigned to place to go to fight conflicts. I was assigned to a place but went to the wrong place. While we got to the place, the sergeant performed a rollcall to make sure everyone is there."

"They should've done the rollcall thing before going there, see?"

"I know. They didn't call my name. I was first worried especially when the sergeant went to me. He asked me who I was and I told him my name. He said that I wasn't in the right place but that he could send me back to the base. I was foolish not to take his proposition but that's because I was too embarrassed to agree. So, I decided to go back all the way to the base on foot."

"That must've been a long way back there, see?"

"Yes, it was. From Woodland to the Mushroom Kingdom, I walked. When I arrived at the base, a sergeant ran toward me and dragged me to court. I was accused of desertion."

"Desertion? Isn't that when you turn a place into a desert? I don't get why this is far worse than all the crimes I did, see?"

Toadsworth chuckled.

"No no, my boy! It's far worse than that. You get accused of betraying your country because you didn't follow orders. At least, the court wasn't too harsh and condemned me to clean the base for the rest of my time in the army."

"And that's where I would've deserted, see?"

They both laughed. They then left to different directions. Toadsworth went upstairs while Popple left the castle escorted by a toad.

Larry and Peach went downstairs in the maze of corridor. They stopped at a painting of a giant fireball with an angry face. She slid the portrait sideway, revealing a pipe behind it.

"This pipe will bring you directly inside the Koopa Castle." Peach told the koopaling.

"Wait! You have a pipe that leads directly there? Could it also lead us anywhere else?" Larry asked, surprised.

"It could but, right now, all the other paths are unavailable for unknown reasons."

She went to a screen on the wall and configured the path to lead directly into the Koopa Castle. The punk approached the pipe and took a look inside. It was pitch black, just as he expected. For once, though, he would take it to reach the Koopa castle as fast as he could.

"Are you coming with me?" The punk asked.

"I wish I could but I have to prepare something else." The princess replied.

"Something else?"

"As you know, the kingdoms and lands are united under a peace treaty. In case there are new leaders, we need to renew it because they might not agree with the terms and conditions of the peace treaty. I fear that certain lands may have changed leader."

"I see. In that case, good luck with that."

As Larry was about to enter the pipe, he heard peach's voice one more time.

"By the way, nice clothing style."

He smiled. He looked back inside the pipe.

(Alright. First time I use a pipe. Here goes nothing.)

He slowly slid into the pipe. He felt something sucking him and got violently pulled into the pipe. He was travelling at a speed he though would never be reachable outside a 200cc kart grand prix with a mushroom or a Bullet Bill. The pipes were made of dense glass and he could see the many caverns the pipeline went through. He saw in some of them crystals and a few metals like copper or silver. Though it was not as impressive as seeing mountains, villages and more, he was fascinated that the people who made those pipeline travels did not make it as plain and boring as he would have thought. In a matter of minutes, he reached his destination.

He flew outside the pipe so high that he hit the ceiling. He fell back down on his head. He slowly stood up and tried to recognize the room he was in. He never saw it in his entire life so it did not seem familiar to him. The room only had the pipe and a door. He opened the door and it led to a set of stairs. He reached a stone wall. He tried to push the wall. One of brick pushed itself inside when Larry touched it. The wall moved, revealing the next room. It was Bowser's room. He recognized it with the incredibly big king sized bed. He got inside a few times to wish the king happy birthday with his siblings. He was surprised that the room had this secret passage hidden behind a bookshelf. He already knew about one hidden behind a portrait of Bowser in the same room but it only had a giant toy box, probably for Junior for when he wanted to be with his father only. He proceeded to leave the room and found himself in the corridor where he used to wait during the big day. Out of curiosity, he went into the office and saw papers lying on the desk where Bowser usually sat behind. He still remembered Bowser's last words to him before the incident. Larry took a look at the papers and realized that they were reports on him. These were however falsified because he recognized Bowser's handwriting all over the reports. Why would his father, the king, falsify them only for Larry and not his other siblings? Sure, Larry used to be untrustworthy when he was younger but that was before Junior was born. Today, everyone wanted to be like him, even his little brother. Larry brushed the thought away and kept searching for a reason behind the fake reports. He got his hand on a strange document written in a language he never saw before. He remembered when he found it in Kamek's pocket and pickpocket it to show it to the king. He put it in his sidepack in case he met someone that could read it. He made his way out of the office and headed toward the throne room. Those corridors used to be filled with guards on duty, servants walking around cleaning the rooms or bringing food, and his siblings. Now, it was filled with many skeletal koopas and he knew he could never take them all like dry toads and dry goombas. He had no other choice but to sneak around. To make stealth easier, he withdrew his head in his shell to hide his tall hairs. He went searching for the source of the radio signal but could not seem to find it. He stumbled across a giant safe door with a speaker right next to it. Larry knew it was not the treasury because no treasury would have a meaning of communication like this one. It was instead a shelter in case of emergencies. The koopaling went to the speaker and held down the button.

"Hello?" He said.

There was no response from inside. He punched the safe door out of frustration but only managed to hurt his hand. A voice came from the speaker.

"Hello? Is there anyone here?" A voice spoke from the speaker.

Larry was shocked. Someone was still alive here but he could not communicate with the person inside the safe by normal means. He could not recognize the voice neither due to the speaker's abysmal quality. He instead used the Morse code by knocking on the safe door. It was one of the two ways he used to communicate with Ludwig when his oldest brother once became deaf. It was hard at first to communicate with him via the Morse code but he eventually found a way to do so.

"Great! Can you open the door from the outside?"

Larry tried to move the wheel that acted as the doorknob but it would not budge. He communicated that with the inside.

"You can't? In that case, you have to move the throne. There's a console under the throne where you'll have to override the lockdown. The one inside the shelter doesn't work. The code for the console is CLAWDIA while the code or the lock override is GENO."

It had been a long time he had not heard the name Clawdia. This name was not meant to be known or heard by anyone but Bowser himself but Larry overheard him many times while the king seemed to be speaking to himself while staring at the starry night. He was speaking of how Junior was going and he was always crying every time he spoke of Clawdia. The koopaling came to realization that Clawdia was the name of Junior's mother and she must have passed away while Junior was still an egg.

Larry made his way back to the throne. Luckily, the throne was on wheels so he did not struggle too much to move it. He saw the console the voice was talking about and entered the codes. He immediately rushed back to the shelter. The door was still closed. He knocked on the door to tell the voice that it was unlocked.

"Okay! I'll try opening it. Nghhh… Welp, I can't. I think I'm too weak to open it. Could you please try opening it?"

Larry grabbed after the wheel. His heart was racing. He was so excited that someone was still alive. The wheel moved. Larry became nervous as he spun the wheel. It then stopped and the door moved. A voice could be heard as the door slowly opened.

"Took you long enough!"

(That voice… It's… Junior!)

 _Bowser and his koopalings were gathered around a cushion holding an egg. It was very late at night but the king let his children stay awake to show them an egg hatching. I might be the only time they could see such event. Their father wanted to make much they could see an experience many things. The egg was slowly dancing by itself on the cushion. The children kept staring at it. The egg started dancing faster. Cracks started appearing all over its top until it broke down and revealed a new family member. The egg completely broke down and Bowser gently picked the baby up. He wrapped it in a blanket as Kamek entered the room._

" _The egg finally hatched?" The mage whispered out of excitement._

 _The Koopa King nodded._

" _Is it also a boy? How will you name it?" Kamek continued._

" _He looks so much like me when I was a kid. I think I'll name him Bowser… Jr…" The father replied._

 _Many of the koopalings were disgusted that their father named the newborn after himself and left the room. For them, it would maybe mean that they will no longer get so see him because he would always be too busy raising Junior. Larry, however, stayed in the room with a tear falling from his eye. His wish became true. He finally had what he wanted the most in his childhood. He was always fascinated and envious of how all his other siblings would help and protect him from anything. He had enough to always be the little brother of the family. He wanted to know what being a big brother felt like. With Junior here, he could finally make it happen._

 _(Junior… I'll protect you from any danger you'll face. We'll grow up together. I'll show you the world one day and we'll go on adventures just us two. I'll love you as much as I love all my other siblings. I'm so glad to have a family like ours. Junior… You'll make me the happiest kid in the entire world.)_

The door completely opened revealing two persons inside: Junior and Kamek. Larry wanted to hug his little brother but when he saw the mage he kneeled down instead. Junior went to hug him. The mage, however, paid no attention to them and immediately left the shelter and started kissing the floor.

"I'M FREE! I'M FINALLY FREE!" Kamek screamed as he started laughing for no reason.

Something seemed odd in Kamek's behavior. He seemed to be faking it. Something happened in there but Larry had no time to confront him. First, he had to bring them someplace safe.

"Being with Junior must have been a nightmare for you." Larry said.

"Kamek wouldn't even want to play with me. He's boring." Junior cried.

The dry creatures heard them and headed toward them. They all gasped and left for a safer place.

"What happened there? Where did all those dry bones come from?" Kamek asked.

"I don't know where, but I can surely tell you that they're not friendly. I want both of you to head to Bowser's room and take the pipe. It will lead you someplace safe. As for me, I'll get the essential here and join you afterward." The koopalings answered.

They went their own direction but Junior ran toward Larry.

"Larry, can you…" Junior started.

The mage took him by the arm and ran away.

"JUNIOR! THERE'S NO TIME TO STALL! WE NEED TO GO!"

"Just get me some toys, please!"

The koopaling heard all of it and would make sure that his little brother had something to play with when he would get back to the Mushroom Castle. He went directly into the kitchen and started packing his sidepack with all the food he could fit in. He then went to the pipe dumping all the content of his backpack while making sure he did not accidently get rid of the orange wand. He had to do this many times. As he was about to finally empty the fridge, he started hearing a voice.

"Oxygen level is normal. There's no presence of abnormal gas in the air. That's odd. What turned everyone into skeletons?"

Larry slowly headed toward the voice. He spotted a giant crocodile humanoid with three red eyes wearing a lab coat, black pants and some strange looking glasses. It held a strange device. The koopaling was not sure if he was friendly but he had to check.

"Excuse me? Who are you?" Larry asked.

The humanoid gasped. He turned back to see the koopaling. He was smiling but when he saw Larry his smile vanished. Perhaps this person was expecting to meet someone here but certainly not Larry.

"You're really alive? I'm not seeing things, right?" The humanoid asked.

"No, I'm just a ghost that roams the halls scaring away trespassers. Now, answer my question." The punk impatiently said.

"I'm sorry. This information is confidential."

"So you're the one who caused all this?"

"Please, I was just sent by the Space Federation to investigate about this incident. I have nothing to do with all of that. I'm surprised to see you around here."

"What happened here?"

"I wish I knew but I can't get any clues of what caused the incident."

"You're not so secretive with all the information you gave me."

"I can't tell much."

"Since you're there, would you help me with something?"

"Hum…"

"Just help me carry my bike into some pipe in a room. Can you do that?"

"Sure! I don't know why you would do that but I'll help."

Larry headed to the garage with the crocodile humanoid following him. They carried Larry's bike back to Bowser's room and dropped it inside the pipe. He also made a stop in Junior's room where he grabbed some toys and put them in his sidepack. Afterward, he returned in the secret passage.

"Are there any other survivors?" The humanoid asked.

"That's top secret, unless you want to negotiate." The koopaling arrogantly replied.

"Fine then! I'm Professor Kraig. I work as a researcher for the Space Federation. That's all I am, I promise."

Larry was not satisfied. He knew Kraig was still hiding something. He jumped at him and grabbed his lab coat while standing on Kraig's round belly. The researcher got scared and backed up into a wall, thinking that he could back off, but Larry was still up to his face.

"Listen to me, pal. I know you're lying because I see those scared eyes and that nervous grin. I want you to tell me everything. And I do mean EVERYTHING!" The punk threatened.

"Okay! Okay! I worked on a vaccine and tried it on some people on this planet last weekend. I was expecting to meet three people there but not you. In fact, I wasn't expecting you to be alive because you're not royalty."

"Wait! Those vaccines, you gave them last weekend?"

"Yes! They were only meant for royalty but I had a few additional stocks so I gave them to Bowser."

"You know Bowser!?"

"I met him a few times because he was the only one here who agreed to let me test the vaccine. There have been alerts of a virus in the galaxy and I was working on a vaccine to counter the virus."

"That's all I wanted to hear for now. I know you're still hiding something from me but I also know when to stop. Next time, you better tell me everything."

"Wait! You're letting me go like that."

"Yeah, I know we'll meet again and all I'm seeing right now is some fat lizard about to burst in tears."

Larry left the scientist alone and went into the pipe. The second time was much better than first time since he did not hit the ceiling while getting out of the pipe. Once back at the Mushroom Castle, toads were already bringing the food he scavenged to the kitchen.

"We placed the bike you brought in the garage." One the toad said to the koopaling.

Larry thanked him and went upstairs to check on the newcomers. There were not in the main hall so he headed to his room. Inside, Junior was there and had some toys of his own that he took before leaving the Koopa Castle. Back there, his room was right next to Bowser's so he did not have to make a big detour if he wanted something from his room. Kamek was also with him, pressuring him about something.

"Junior, you have to take the throne in the absence of your father!"

"What if I don't want? Can it be someone else for now?"

"Junior, we can't take anyone for the throne!"

"What about Larry?"

"The rules prioritize you over him, so no. Larry can't be the next koopa king."

"I'll just take the throne and change the rules."

"JUNIOR, YOU CAN'T JUST CHANGE THE RULES LIKE THAT! THAT'S STUPID!"

"I don't want to rule right now! There's no one at the koopa castle and I wanna play!"

The mage left the room out of frustration almost shoving the koopaling on his way. Only Larry and Junior were inside the room. Junior immediately hugged his brother.

"Larry! I'm so glad that you're here. I can't stand being with Kamek." Junior happily said.

"Who can, anyway?" Larry joked.

"Lucky for you, you didn't have to be stuck with him for days."

"Gee… Anyway, I'll go take a shower. I realize that it's been a long enough time for me to notice my own stench. I brought you some toys. They're in my sidepack."

Larry removed his clothes and his shell leaving him in underwear only.

"Larry? Do you remember that time you picked me up from school?" The prince asked.

Larry did, but he did not want to remember it. In fact, he wanted to forget that one time because of what happened on this particular day.

 _It was a Friday in the afternoon. Larry was ordered to pick up Junior from school because Kamek could not be there today. He was riding his bike until he reached the school the prince attended. Bowser wanted his legitimate son to grow up with the people of the kingdom to better learn their needs. Being a prince in a public school however was not easy: it was hard to make friends for Junior due to his title of prince. Plus, bully mostly targeted him for being the prince. Once Larry arrived at the school, he saw the prince being bullied by two koopa troopas. He got off his bike and went toward the group._

" _Your highness, I've come on behalf of your father the king to bring you back home." Larry greeted calmly._

" _Oh! Is that your new boyfriend?" One of the bullies teased._

" _I'm one of his royal bodyguards. Do not test your luck with me."_

" _You're one of those koopaling guys that lick the king's feet."_

" _I prefer the term serve. Come, your highness, let's not waste our time with those nobodies."_

" _Hey! I'm more of someone than you are. At least, I'm not so egotistical because I directly serve the king."_

 _Junior and his bodyguard left. On their way to the bike, Junior moaned in pain._

" _What's wrong, your highness?" His bodyguard asked._

 _The prince showed his arm revealing a bruise. Larry was angered and immediately went back to the bullies who were still laughing._

" _How did he get the bruise?" Larry promptly asked while pointing at the prince._

" _Oh, that thing? We were just playing with him and he got himself hurt. Your prince is such a klutz." One of them arrogantly replied._

 _The koopaling knew too well that it was not an accident. He got even angrier that those two were trying to put the blame on Junior and started showing his set of teeth._

" _What's the matter? Your precious prince is hurt and crying. Pity you can't do anything to us. We know you and the others; you'll just try to…"_

 _Larry performed a roundhouse kick to one of the bully, sending him flying toward a mud pool._

" _Are you crazy!? You just hurt him." The other bully said._

 _The koopaling did not listen. He stared at the other bully and whistled. Two armored koopas met up with him._

" _I want a full report on how the prince got his bruise and I want you to report those kids' parents on their misbehavior. Understood?" Larry ordered._

 _The guards nodded and got to work. He then looked back at the two bullies. One of them was helping the other to get back on his feet._

" _As for you, kid, the next time you try to lie on me, I'll have you and your friend's parents scrub all the floors in the kingdom and I'll have both of you sent to a military camp. That'll teach you some discipline." The koopaling threatened._

 _Larry walked to Junior and his bike. He opened his bike seat and pulled out a cushion with a belt that he attached around himself and covered the spikes on his shell. He hopped on his bike and the prince grabbed after the cushion behind him. They left the school._

"Junior, I don't know what got into my mind that day." Larry told to the prince.

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did." Junior cheered.

"Don't thank me. I hurt someone and I felt ashamed of it."

"Larry, they were bullying me. All our other siblings tried to put a stop on them in different ways and none of them worked. You just had to give them a taste of their own medicine to make them stop."

"Violence was not the solution. I blew a fuse and acted without thinking."

"But Larry, they completely stopped and I could finally have some friends."

"I just wish I could solve the problem in a different way."

Junior went to hug his big brother.

"Larry… I don't want you to change. I know you're aggressive when those things happen but that's what I like the most from you: you're not afraid of showing what you honestly think when the time comes. You know how to act properly to different persons. Those bullies needed to be taught a lesson and you gave them one." The prince whispered.

There was a brief pause until they let go each other. Larry headed to the door.

"I have to go." He only said.

He walked all the way to the bathroom in the basement. A toad was on guard duty next to the door leading to the bathroom. They waved at each other and Larry entered the bathroom. He removed his underwear and took a shower. The cloud of steam concealed the bottom part of his body. As he was washing his hairs, someone else joined him in the showers. It was Popple. He was however still wearing the bandana that covered his eyes and carried a long brush. He took a soap bar and rubbed it on his brush. They washed themselves in the showers (not each other).

"I heard a lot of stuff about you from those mushroom guys, see?" Popple started.

"Like what?"

"I heard about all the crimes you committed, see?"

"That was a long time ago and I'm trying to branch in the right path to be a better example to my little brother."

"I just wanna say that's amazing, see? I'm planning on becoming the best thief in the world."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that now? The world is in ruins and there's practically no one around to catch you."

"I'll just steal things from the castle residents while they sleep, see?"

"Amateur."

"Oh yeah? How about I let my brush do the talking, see?"

Popple raised his hand but soon realized that his brush was gone.

"Looking for this?" Larry said as he showed the brush the bean guy was holding earlier.

"Woah! How did you do that?"

"I just distracted you with our conversation."

"That's extraordinary, see!? I never thought it was possible do to that under someone's nose, see? You have to teach me, boss!"

"That's not something that can be taught. It can only work when you learn it from yourself."

They both kept showering. Then, a third person entered the bathroom. It was Kamek but he still had all his clothes on. The two others laughed.

"Don't tell me you're going to take a shower like that." Larry joked.

"Ha ha, very funny, Larry, but someone wants to see you." Kamek said.

"Tell him to come in. I finished my shower."

Larry went out the showers and took a towel that he wrapped around his body. The mage left the room and an unexpected guest came in. It was a small round golden figure with brown shoes and a star on its head. It was a first sight for Larry. He had never seen anything like that in his entire life.

"Hello? Are you Larry?" The figure said.

"Yes, who are you?" the koopaling replied.

"My name is Starlow. I was sent by the stars to tell the world that I know about a way to restore it to its former state."

"Why didn't you see Peach first? She's better placed for that kind of thing."

"That's what I did first but she told me to see you instead since you already have one of the seven royal wands."

"You mean the orange wand?"

"Indeed, we need all of them plus the two kingdoms' artifacts to restore the world."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Before we get to retrieve all the artifacts, I need to meet my contact."

"Who's your contact?"

"I can't tell you. That's top secret."

"I won't directly accept to help you BUT I might unintentionally get those wands and meet your contact."

Starlow was grinding her teech but she eventually agreed. Larry made some last preparations on his hairs, wore his underwear and went back to his room to wear his shell and the rest of his clothes while Starlow followed him. Junior was already playing with the toys Larry brought.

"Where do you plan to go first?" She asked.

"I need to go back to Grassland. I need to check on something." Larry replied.


	7. Chapter 1-6

**Chapter 1-6: The new Grassland king**

"Why do you need to go back there exactly? You already have the orange wand." Starlow asked, confused.

"I usually live there and there's something I need to find in my house. I'll just give one last try then we'll go get the other wands." Larry answered.

They both left the room and went in the main hall. More people than usual were standing in the room but the duo did not pay attention to them. They headed to the door but…

"Hum, excuse me?" Peach's voice spoke.

They turned around and saw Peach walking down the stairs. She then gathered everyone in the castle in the room.

"I have an important announcement about the current situation. First, I need to meet all the land kings to renew the peace treaty in case that there are new leaders. Sadly, all pipelines and radio communications have been shut down for unknown reasons. Secondly, Starlow over here claims that she knows a way to restore our world in its former state. She explained that we need to gather the seven wands and the two kingdom artifacts. For now, all I'm asking you to do is to stay on your daily basis. I'll take care of everything." She announced.

Everyone nodded and went back to their business. The princess approached the duo.

"What are you planning to do today, Larry?" She asked.

"I was going to my house in Grassland to check on something." He answered.

"May you do me some favors?"

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"Can you check if the Mario brothers are home? Also, can you give those papers to the Grassland king?"

The koopaling nodded while the princess gave him papers. He had already been to the Mario brothers' house to do some light work since one of his two jobs was his business Larry Lights (The other being the electrodrome DJ). Mario was the hero of Amarioca along with his little brother. They saved the Mario World many times. Larry would gladly go to their house and see if they were there. If so, he would just give them the wand, tell Starlow to follow the plumbers and he would head out elsewhere to check on the rest of his family. He and Peach then left their own way. Larry and Starlow headed to the garage and took Larry's sport bike. He once used it to establish a record on the electrodrome track in the eighth annual karting festival. He always loved the design of this type of bike because it reminded him of the time when he participated in the equestrian in the 2016 Olympic games against Team Sonic. He got on his bike but Starlow objected.

"Wait! How am I going to follow you?" You'll be going too fast." She pointed out.

Larry pointed the sidepack he was wearing around his body. The star sprite nodded and went inside. Larry drove through the Mushroom city. On his way, he saw that Popple was back to work with some toads. This time, however, Junior was also with him. The punk was a bit hesitant to see his little brother out there with all the dry creatures. The latter was only six. Nevertheless, the world changed and Larry thought that Junior would need to adapt to it. He waved at them and they waved back at him. Larry left the city and went on the main road. Unlike the city, barely any dry creatures were walking around. The landscape of the Mushroom Kingdom was the same as Grassland: hills filled with grass, trees scattered around the lands and a few houses inhabited the area. They finally reached the capital town of Grassland. The Grassland fortress was standing on the highest hill of the land right next to the town and could be seen from the Mushroom Castle. The town was however filled with a few dry goombas. Larry found it odd that only a few of them were aimlessly walking around. The goomba population was known to be on the biggest on Amarioca right before the toad population. Nevertheless, the koopaling proceeded toward his house in the outskirt of the town. His house was placed near a small lake and was quite big for someone like him. He parked his bike in the yard. Starlow, hearing the engine shutting down, left the sidepack and followed Larry inside. Inside, the house was in order. What made the house big was the training room that Larry would use to practice different forms of martial arts. He headed to his bedroom. It was a typical one with a few sport accessories lying around. They acted as decoration with the exception of a tennis racket leaning on the front of his bed.

"What are you looking for exactly?" The star sprite asked.

"I lost something somewhere in my bedroom that I hold dear. I knew that it was somewhere here because before the weekend I still had it and I put it on the table next to my bed the day before I go to the Koopa Kingdom to prepare for the big day." He replied.

Larry did not want to tell her exactly what he was looking for. Anyway, in the bedroom, there was not much of interest. As he started to search around his room, Starlow decided to help him. Thanks to her small size, she could fit anywhere. She then noticed a small golden object with a chain under the bed behind one of the feet. It was a heart shaped locket. She grabbed it with her mouth and showed it to the koopaling. Larry was happy to see his locket back. It had a button on top of it that Larry pressed revealing a picture of a younger him holding a baby Junior with Bowser kneeled down behind him with a hand on one of Larry's shoulders.

"That's you in the picture? You look so cute." Starlow complimented.

"I remember when he gave me this locket." Larry whispered.

 _It had been a hard working day for both Larry and Bowser since they moved Larry to his new house in Grassland. The king attempted many times to convince his son to stay home longer but in vain. Larry was one of the last koopalings to leave the house and make his life. One of his older brothers, Lemmy, was still at the castle. The koopaling wanted to have his house sooner. He went into many sport competition and, with most of them being in the Mushroom Kingdom, he did not want to have to travel from one kingdom to another. Once they were done with moving in everything, Larry and Bowser had one last conversation before the king returned to his kingdom._

" _Things won't be the same around at the castle, you know. Junior's gonna miss you big time and I'm not sure when you'll pass by home." Bowser reminded Larry._

" _Don't worry, dad, I'll come stay with you and the others every weekends. Besides, Lemmy's still home so Junior won't be alone." The punk replied._

" _Thanks, Larry. The weekends are the only time I wish you come home to play with him. Most of his other siblings left the castle a long time ago and don't visit him as much as you'll do."_

" _You're welcome."_

" _One last thing: Why do you love Junior so much?"_

" _I had a dream and you made it come true. I saw how all my other siblings always protected me because they were older than me and I wanted a little brother to do the same."_

 _Bowser shredded a tear. He patted Larry on the head without touching the hairs._

" _I have to go but I want to give you something before." Bowser said as he handed Larry the locket._

 _He left the house and entered his car and waved at his son before leaving. The koopaling waved back at him and stared at the car until it vanished into the town. He pressed the button on top of the locket and saw the picture of him with his father and his little brother. The punk knew that Bowser was thinking his children were leaving the house because of Junior. The koopalings all had their different reason to move out. The punk sighed and sat on the balcony. He closed his eyes._

Larry took a brief pause. He put the locket in one of his pockets and left the house with Starlow following him. He did not bother to check his fridge. He knew that it was empty because he would usually do the groceries right after the weekend. They both noticed regular goombas heading to the fortress. Larry was surprised to see some survivors here after how severe things were in the Grassland Fortress. He and Starlow followed them into the fortress. Inside, many regular goombas were gathered around an incredibly huge goomba wearing a crown that was giving a speech. However, the big goomba noticed the koopaling and gasped.

"You!? You're alive!? I thought those monsters got you." The goomba king said.

"It's a long story but to make it short, I escaped, beat some dry goombas, got wounded by a dry Boom Boom, blew it up with the orange wand…" The punk started.

"Speaking of the orange wand, have you seen it somewhere? I can't seem to find it."

The koopaling searched in his sidepack and pulled out the orange wand the king was looking for. The goombas were surprised to see that Larry was able to hold the wand. As Larry approached the king to give his wand back, Starlow wanted to object but she notice that the king had an unexpected expression. He was smiling, something he never did years ago. He was always seen with a grumpy face even in happy events. He also gave an unexpected response.

"No, please, keep it, young athlean. You liberated the Grassland fortress from those dry creatures and I'm thankful to see someone kind enough to return the precious Grassland artifact. I should've never judged you on first sight." The king said.

"I don't understand." Larry said, confused.

"I think it's time for Grassland to have a new king. My time may not be done but I see in front of me someone that is fit to be a better king than I am. And I'm willing to step down to give my throne to someone else."

The goomba king ordered his subjects to prepare a coronation ceremony. Larry explained that Princess Peach and Prince Bowser Jr. were also alive and at the Mushroom castle waiting for his approval to renew the peace treaty. The king had the pipeline travelling service as well as radio communication fixed to allow Peach and Junior to travel directly to the Grassland Fortress. A few hours later, the coronation ceremony was ready. Peach and Junior were there with their respective advisors on the stage. There were astonished to hear that the Goomba King would give his place to Larry. The koopaling and the king were also standing on the stage. The king had the crown hovering near him while Larry was holding the orange wand. The king delivered his speech.

"My fellow people, we are here today to celebrate the rise of a new Grassland king. We are in new times of crisis and I fear that I am no match for what is going to come. It is time for me to step down and give my place to a younger soul with huge potential. We all know him. His unrivaled loyalty to his superiors combined with his caring attitude for his minions and natural leadership will make him the greatest king a land could ever ask. Larry Koopa, I hereby declare you king of Grassland."

The goomba king approached Larry with the crown that he reshaped to fit on the koopaling's head without ruining his hairstyle. Once the crown put on Larry's head, a light emitted from it and engulfed the new king. The light then disappeared, revealing a koopaling now wearing royal vestments. His royal outfit consisted of a golden vest over a white dress shirt with a white kerchief and a sky blue ballroom tail coat trimmed with gold. Though it was surprised to hear that Larry was in the same family as Bowser's, the crowd cheered for the new Grassland king. The former king offered Larry to make a speech.

"As your new king, I'll ensure that all of you will never be neglected. However, I can't stay here with you right now. I need to perform tasks that will require me to travel around the world. So, in my absence, the former king will now be known as the Goomba General and he'll keep an eye on all of you. I order you, my people, to take shelter in the Grassland Fortress until I return. Do not risk your life liberating the town. You're important to not only me but also your friends and family." The new king declared.

The crowd cheered even louder after the new king's speech. Once the ceremony done, a feast was organized for the royal members who included Larry, Junior, Peach and their advisors. Larry had his own advisor, Captain Goomba. Precautions were taken as the chefs gave the koopaling one table full of food all for him. True to his behavior, Larry gobbled through the entire table all by himself. Afterward, he had to meet the former king for certain explanations.

"You wanted to meet me, general?" The new king asked.

"Yes. Being the new king, you now have access to new powers." The captain explained.

"New power? What kind of powers are we talking about?"

"First of, with a flick of your fingers, you can conceal your true identity. Give it a try."

The new king flicked his finger. In a flash, he was now wearing his normal clothing. He however noticed now had two rings in his right hand. Both had an orange stone but one was a gold ring while the other was a silver ring.

"The gold ring is the crown. The silver ring is the orange wand." The Goomba General told to his highness.

Larry flicked his finger again and was back into his royal vestments. He was holding the orange wand in his right hand.

"The other power allows you to shape the orange wand at will. It works with your creativity but the power has its limits. I cannot exactly tell you how to do it. It varies between kings."

Larry, however, had an idea. He stared at the wand and raised it in the air. The wand started melting in his hand and wrapped itself around it. In a few seconds, the melting wand became a silver gauntlet with its orange stone on the back of it.

"Impressive! You have shaped the orange wand to suit your needs better." The general complimented.

"I have something to ask you, captain: Who was the former king of Grassland?" Larry asked.

"It was an athlean but I do not remember his name. You were not born when he ruled over Grassland. Our records of the athleans were destroyed during a conflict between the athleans and the other royal families. I am sorry if I could not ask your question properly."

Once the meeting done, Larry changed back to his normal suit and met up with Peach and Junior. Their advisors already left for the Mushroom castle. The princess told the new king that the advisors were arguing on who is the better chess player between the three of them. The sun was setting so they made haste to their primary task. They then headed to the Mario brothers' house while Starlow followed them from afar until she could catch up when the trio stopped in front of the house. The house was in a complete mess: Tables and chairs flipped upside down, papers and debris scattered everywhere and no sign of the plumbers. It did not seem like typical hoodlums scavenging for anything. It looked like a fight took place. The princess took a chair and sat down. While Larry and Starlow were looking for something of interest in the plumbers' bedroom, they overheard a conversation between Junior and Peach.

"Mama Peach, I'm sorry we couldn't find your plumbers."

"Junior, I appreciate all the help you and your big brother brought me. At least, both of you tried."

"But we wanted to actually find them, not be there just to find nothing!"

"Junior, I don't believe they are actually gone. They might've left elsewhere, but I'm not sure where."

Peach started crying.

"I never had any siblings in my life. I grew up as a single child and they were like the brothers I wished I had. What will we do if we can't find them? Who will help us?"

"Don't cry, Mama Peach, we'll find them. We can help ourselves."

"Aren't you worried that your father might also be gone?"

"Kamek told me that we couldn't find him in the Koopa Castle so I'm sure he's still alive."

The conversation went for a little while until Peach lightened up and proposed something to him.

"Until we find your father, would you and Larry allow me to be your mother?"

Larry peeked in the doorframe and saw that Junior was about to cry. He remembered the many times Peach visited Bowser and his koopalings. He also remembered that those visits slowed down significantly when Junior was born. Rumors said that it was Bowser who suggested that Peach visited less frequently. Junior then burst into tears and hugged the princess.

"It's not fair! Why did I have to live without a mama? Papa Bowser never told me about my mama and every time I asked him, he immediately grounded me!" Junior sobbed.

"It's okay, Junior, I'm here for you. We're all here for you." Peach whispered as she hugged him back.

The group left the house disappointed. Junior and Peach took the pipe back to the Mushroom Castle while Larry and Starlow took the bike back home. Before Larry started the bike, the star sprite asked him a question.

"Larry, what kind of family do you live in?"

"Well, I have a father, six brothers and a sister."

"And all that from Bowser himself?"

"Not really, he adopted me, five of my siblings and my sister. Junior is his only legitimate son."

"What about his mother?"

The punk was hesitant to speak about Junior's mother. He did not know much about her.

"Larry?" Starlow asked.

"I don't know anything about his mother." The punk lied.

"Oh, I see."

"What about you?"

"I have a standard family, you know, mother, father, a brother and a sister."

"Is that so?"

"Well, yeah, why do you ask?"

"You just enumerated stuff without really explaining."

"Well, you just enumerated stuff too."

"I was specific. You just enumerated the typical family. Do they have names?"

"Yeah! My brother's named… Do you say such thing to everyone that has the same kind of family as mine?"

"No but I doubt someone like you would have a family in the first place."

Larry noticed that he angered Starlow and recovered by apologising to her.

"I'm sorry. It's the first time I see someone like you." Larry said.

"Apology accepted… For now." The star sprite coldly whispered.

Something seemed suspicious about Starlow. When Larry asked about his family members' name, she first started but quickly changed her sentence to not have to speak about her family. Does she resent her own family? They rode the bike and returned home as the sun vanished behind the hills while the moon greeted the surface of the world with its moonlight. Arrived at the castle, not much was happening: everyone was about to go to sleep. Larry did the same and went to his bedroom. Junior was already asleep and the punk patted his head.

"Goodnight, sweet prince…" Larry whispered.

He went to his bed and slept in his underwear while Starlow sat down on the table next to Larry's bed and whispered to herself as she slept.

"Geno… Where are you? I need you…" Starlow's voice whispered.

 **END OF ACT 1**


	8. Chapter 2-1

**ACT 2: THE JOURNEY BEGINS**

 **Chapter 2-1: More than meets the eyes**

 _ **Larry found himself in a strange looking room with very few torches that did their best to light up the room. Alas, many spots were still left pitch black yet Larry could tell that, judging by the big yellow-ish bricks that made up the walls, he was in a pyramid. Only a sarcophagus was found in the room. It moved as if someone was stuck inside.**_

" _ **HELP!" A familiar voice screamed from the sarcophagus.**_

 _ **Larry recognized the voice.**_

" _ **Morton? Where are you?" Larry replied.**_

" _ **HELP MORTON, LARRY! MORTON CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"**_

 _ **The punk rushed toward the dancing sarcophagus. There was a lock on it which explained why the prisoner could not get out of it. Larry opened the lock. The sarcophagus abruptly opened, revealing a dark skinned koopa engulfed in blue flames. The burning victim jumped right at Larry.**_

" _ **LARRY' WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MORTON!? FIRE HURTS BADLY! HELP!" Morton screamed in agony as the blue flames quickly muffled his voice.**_

 _ **Larry screamed too. He was horrified to see someone burning let alone one of his siblings.**_

"Larry! LARRY!"

The koopaling abruptly woke up while screaming, scaring of the person that woke him up. He looked around him and saw that Starlow was the one who woke up. The star sprite came back to him. Neither Junior nor Kamek were in the room.

"Are you alright?" Starlow asked.

"I'm fine. I need to go in Sandland. I got a dream where I was able to meet one of my siblings." Larry answered.

He quickly stood out of bed, wore all his clothes and shell and headed to the door, forgetting his sidepack. As he opened it, he saw his own advisor standing in front of him.

"I heard you screaming, your highness. Is everything okay?" His advisor asked.

"Yes, Captain, everything's fine." The koopaling replied as he headed toward the entrance of the Musroom Castle.

"Should I bring you something for breakfast?"

"While you're at it, Captain, could you bring me some fruits, please?"

"Yes, your highness." The advisor said as he rushed to the kitchen to bring back a basket full of apples, bananas and peaches.

Larry ate the whole basket in seconds and went to open the main entrance door.

"Pip pip!"

Larry stopped as he heard Toadsworth's voice. He turned back and saw the old walking down the stairs. He seemed to be worried.

"Are you already leaving? If so, I've received some disturbing news you might want to hear." Toadsworth announced.

"Make it quick! I gotta go to Sandland." Larry impatiently replied.

"Now now, my boy, no need to be rude, I've received a report that some other worlds were affected by the virus."

"WHAT!?" Larry, Starlow and the goomba captain shouted in unison.

"Yes, some portals that lead to other worlds, such as the Leaf world, Triforce world and Urchin world, remained opened and I fear that the virus might have spread into said worlds. One portal, inside the Super Bell Subway, was confirmed to have been stayed opened between the big day and shortly after the incident. We need someone to investigate the damage and, if possible, shut the portal down." The old toad explained.

"I'll go!" Larry proposed.

"Wait, you said you have to go to Sandland!" Starlow reminded him.

"I know, but I trust that my sibling can defend himself of those dry creatures. The portal's a more severe problem but I just need to know where to find the subway station."

Toadsworth nodded and showed Larry a map of the Muchroom City placed on a wall in the main hall. The map took all the space the wall had and the old toad used a retractable stick to show the subway to the koopaling. Both Larry and Starlow immediately left the castle and headed toward the subway. On their way, they met Popple with his toad escort looking in a grocery store for supplies. This time, Junior was not with him.

"How's the scavenging going?" Larry asked.

"It's not going as well as I thought, see? More and more buildings get emptied and I couldn't even take a look at them before they got emptied, see?" The bean guy sighed.

"You think someone else's hogging all the food?"

"Yesterday, I saw some people in the distance breaking through a shop, see? I thought at first that they were from the castle but, once I approached them, they pulled out fire flowers and fired at me, see? I had to run away, see?"

"I see. If you see those people again, stay far away from them. Don't try to engage them. I have a lot to do right and, once done, I'll meet you again and we'll investigate those toads."

"Yes, boss!"

The two groups parted way. The mere idea of a group hogging all the food was very problematic. If there was one thing that would easily compromise the survival of what remained of the Amariocan population, it would be a fight between survivors.

"Are you sure that those other survivors aren't from the castle?" Starlow asked.

"I doubt it. Everyone in the castle is already aware that Popple helps the castle's residents by bringing them food, water and weapons. I'm sure those other survivors are a gang of thugs with a base somewhere in the city. Right now, I can't take a look at them because I have to first check the subway then go to Sandland. I'll take a look once I come back from both tasks." Larry answered.

After walking what seemed to be minutes, the duo finally found the entrance to the Super Bell Subway. It was one of the few ways that could travel anyone into other worlds. They went downstairs to the dock and saw a subway train still running. Oddly enough, no one was waiting for the train if they did not count all the dry toads aimlessly walking around. Just seeing the train working was enough to worry the punk. To make sure they would not be disturbed while they investigated the train, they decided to break the dry creatures. Starlow was able to attack with a nova attack that sent the monsters away to shatter in pieces on the walls. Once done, they started their investigation. The passengers' wagons were all empty. They heard the door of the conductor's cabin slowly opening up. They went checking and saw someone peeking from the inside. They could not see what the person looked like because it was too dark in the cabin.

"Are they all gone?" The person asked, scared.

Both Larry and Starlow nodded. The door completely opened, revealing a bright yellow dog humanoid. She resembled a Shin Tzu. Her head was shaped like a bag of bells. She would usually be seen happy but, with the current situation, she was too scared to smile. She had rosy cheeks and white fur patches on her tail and around her mouth. She wore a green checkered vest with a white top and a red ribbon underneath with a navy blue skirt. She was also the same height as the koopaling. Larry saw her a few times in karting competitions but never got to know her name. He kind of had a crush on her despite all the other girls jumping at him due to his flirty attitude.

"What are you doing here?" Larry calmly asked.

"I wanted to go back home but there was no one driving the train. So, I went inside the conductor's cabin and tried to drive the train but I didn't know how. The only thing I managed to do was turning on the train but it attracted all those monsters and I was too scared to leave the cabin with all of them around." The dog answered.

"So you opened the portal to your own world. You idiot puppy, you just doomed your own world!" The star sprite scolded her.

"Starlow, this isn't time to insult others for their mistakes. Besides, I don't think you can actually open a portal from the train." Larry pointed out.

"You said a portal? I saw some light in the tunnel and I wanted to go there but I was stuck in the cabin." The dog said while pointing through the tunnel.

They could see a faint green light in the tunnel. Larry knew that beyond that point was a portal to the Leaf World due to the green color. A white portal would lead to the Urchin World while a yellow one would lead to the Triforce World. The punk looked back Starlow.

"You heard that? The portal was already opened when she got there." He said.

"Alright, I'm sorry." The star sprite apologised, embarrassed for accusing an innocent.

The dog wanted to say that she forgave Starlow but, since she was too scared due to having seen dry creatures around, she just made a faint smile. Now came the question of what to do with her. With the portal open, they would obviously have to close it. But where should they send the dog? Maybe the situation in the Leaf World was not as bad as the one here. Though, with Toadsworth's order, they had to investigate the other world to study the damages. Plus, this person was not used to live here in Amarioca. It would be better to send her back to her home world instead of keeping her in a foreign place.

"Listen, we can bring you back to your home then we'll close the portal, okay?"

The dog nodded. Larry took a look inside the cabin and examined the control board. The two others followed him inside. He saw a hand lever and pushed it forward. The train slowly moved forward. Then, it sped up and the train went toward the green light which revealed to be a portal. Once they crossed the portal, the koopaling pulled back the portal and the train slowed down. They reached a dock and stopped by. The dog thanked the duo and left the train then the station. Larry did not pull the lever backward yet. He felt concerned about something and Starlow noticed it.

"What's wrong, Larry? We brought her home like you wanted. We can go back to the Mushroom City then Sandland to look after one of your sibling." Starlow told him, forgetting that she had to also study what happened here.

"I know but I don't think bringing her back here was the best decision. You heard Toadsworth, the portal was open for quite a long time and I fear that…"

Larry could not finish his sentence when he heard a scream. It came from outside the station. The duo rushed out the train and saw the dog running down the stairs. She then tripped on her feet and fell on the ground in front of them. The koopaling helped her get up. He noticed she was crying.

"Are you alright? What happened up there?" He asked.

"My town… My friends… They all turned into skeletons! I lost everything!" The dog sobbed.

"Do you want us to clear up everything in town?" Starlow asked.

"Please no, I just want to find my glasses and make sure my brother is fine then…"

The dog paused. She was not sure what she would do after. She cried even harder than before, this time covering her face with her hands and falling on her knees. The star sprite went looking outside and came back horrified.

"Listen, we can bring you somewhere safe after that if you want to. You'll meet a lot of people that had their story to share with you. We'll even find you something to do there." Larry proposed.

The dog stood up and hugged him. She thanked him many times and led the way outside. Out there, the koopaling saw the horror himself. What used to be a cheerful village became a living nightmare. Despite the place being practically intact, many dry creatures of various species were walking and crawling around. The fact that the village was intact worried Larry because he feared that the dog's brother might have turned into a dry creature. He raced a few times in this world on a track the villagers built to celebrate the eighth annual karting competition. The dog led the duo into a house. Inside, they searched for the glasses and the brother. The dog found her glasses in her bedroom on a table. As for the brother, he did not seem to be here at first until…

And eerie screech was heard from the kitchen. Both Larry and Starlow rushed to the kitchen and saw a dry creature inside. The dog followed them and, recognizing the creature…

"Digby!?" She screamed as she rushed to it.

"Wait! What are you doing!? Get away from him! He'll infect you!" Larry warned her.

The dog did not listen. She was already hugging her brother out of despair.

"No! Digby, this can't happen to you! You can't leave me like that! Please, someone, tell me I'm just having a nightmare! Someone, help me wake up!" She cried.

Larry feared that the monster might attack her. He was about to pull her away from it until…

"Isa… belle?"

The monster spoke. They were all astonished to hear a dry creature speaking. It was regaining consciousness. The dry creature then shined in a powerful light blinding everyone in the kitchen. As the light faded, the trio saw a spectral form of the brother.

"Isabelle, I am so glad to see you alive." The specter said.

"Digby, what happened to you, to everyone else?" The female dog asked.

"I am sorry to leave you so soon, my dear sister. I do not know what happened aside that the town was engulfed by a strange blue cloud. I did not know my time would be up so soon. I wish I could have stayed longer with you but my fate ended so soon and I cannot do anything against it."

The specter walked through her sister and approached Larry and Starlow.

"You there, I want to thank you for retrieving my sister. May I ask you a favor?"

The koopaling simply nodded while the star sprite did not do or say anything.

"Please, take care of my sister, bring her far away from here and make her happy. That is all I am asking from you."

Larry nodded again. The specter turned back to face his sister. His body started emitting particles of light.

"It is now time for me to go, I can feel it. Before I leave, please find the gift that I wanted to give you. I placed it under your bed." Digby said.

Isabelle ran to the bedroom. Once she left the kitchen, Digby started vanishing.

"Goodbye… dear sister." The specter bid.

Those were his last words before he completely disappeared. Isabelle came back now wearing a silver pendant with a ruby on. She wanted to thank her brother but she could not see him. She looked at the two others who just said nothing. They had their head lowered and their eyes closed. This moment was however interrupted by a door being banged.

"The monsters are at the door! We need to get out of here!" Starlow declared.

The trio escaped from the house via a window and ran toward the subway station. They returned to the previous world and left the train. Before they left the Super Bell Subway, they had to make a detour in the control room to shut down the portal to prevent any dry creatures to travel between the two worlds. They left the subway station and headed to the castle. On their way, they met Popple again.

"Oh, is that your lover?" The bean guy teased.

Larry angrily stared at him while walking next to him. Popple then realized that something bad might have happened to the dog and awkwardly waved at them while embarrassingly grinning. The trio reached the castle. Princess Peach was reading a book while sitting down on the stone railing of the bridge when she saw Larry and Starlow bringing a new face. She noticed that the new face was crying. She stood up to meet them.

"What happened to you, young lady?" The princess asked.

Isabelle did not answer. She was still shocked about what happened to her home world.

"Toadsworth was right. The virus spread into other worlds that had their portal open and it infected more people. It seems that the culprit is cleverer than we thought and attacked us at the right moment." Larry explained.

"That's horrible! Did you at least close the portal?" The princess asked.

The koopaling nodded. The princess sighed in relief and they all entered the castle.

"Larry!"

Larry recognized his little brother's voice and opened his arms to receive him.

"How's my little prince going?"

"Don't call me a prince! I don't wanna be on the throne yet. I just wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"I saw that cool doll that you had next to your bedroom. Can I play with it?"

"Oh right, I forgot I brought that doll. Well, sure, you can have it. It's all yours."

Junior screamed in joy and excitement and headed to their room. Peach escorted the dog to the bedroom next to Larry's. The koopaling was still worried about Isabelle so he peeked through the door to make sure everything is fine.

"I'm sorry for what happened to your town. You can stay here as long as you want."

Isabelle did not respond.

"I'll leave you some time alone then."

Peach was about to walk away from the dog until…

"You remind me of the mayor."

"You mean the mayor of your town?"

"Yes, he was kind and caring just like you."

"How close were you to him?"

"I was his secretary and I helped him with the town management."

"I see, just like my assistant Toadsworth."

"I suppose but I'm sure Toadsworth could replace you in your absence. I was always afraid that I might have to replace him someday as in become the next mayor. Every time he went on vacations, I was afraid because I had to replace him and I did not want to change anything in his ways."

"You're not like Toadsworth. Every time I had to go outside and then came back, there was always something different. Sometimes, I even had to change things back because they simply did not work."

The conversation between the two made Isabelle smile. Though it was not really comforting, she was glad that she could find someone to talk to about anything. Larry left them alone and saw the goomba captain approaching.

"Something to report, captain?" Larry asked.

"Not yet but I have some papers you need to check." The captain replied while handing some papers to his king.

The papers were the treaty Larry was supposed to give to the former Grassland king. He took a pen from his advisor and signed them. He gave the papers back to the captain.

"Also, can you bring me more copies of those papers please? I'm planning to travel to Sandland soon."

"Sure thing! May I ask you what do you have to do there besides meeting the Sandland king?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you, Captain. That's personal."

"How personal are we talking about?"

"I need to make sure someone's fine."

"Understandable, have a great day."

Captain Goomba left the main hall by take the middle door upstairs and returned to bring Larry more papers. The koopaling then made some preparations and was ready to leave the castle for Sandland. As he walked on the bridge near the entrance with his companion, she saw Isabelle leaning on the stone railing looking at the water underneath. She heard his footsteps and looked at him.

"Hi!" She said with a smile.

She seemed happy this time but Larry knew that she was still mourning for her loss inside her. It would take a long time before she would accept that her brother was gone.

"Isabelle, there's no need to hide the pain and sadness to lose someone or something. I know you're still sad about Digby being gone before you could say goodbye to him. I'd feel the same way if I lost a family member like that." Larry pointed out.

"I know but I don't want to think too much about it or I'll never be able to smile again." The dog replied.

"I see."

"Say, how big is your family?"

"I have six brothers, a sister and a father who is the koopa king."

"Woah! Your father is Bowser!? That's one big family but where is your mother?"

"I don't have one."

"What do you mean?"

"I was adopted by my father alone. As for Junior, however, he gave birth to him but neither I nor my other siblings saw the mother, not even Junior."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that your story would be that sad. Isn't she your mother too?"

"She would've been but I was born an orphan before Bowser adopted me and six of my siblings. How about you, what kind of family do you have?"

"I had a twin brother, a mother and a father, a pretty standard one. I'm afraid that my parents might have turned into skeletons."

"Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine. We closed the portal so the virus shouldn't be able to spread any further."

They kept talking for a short time until Isabelle decided to head back inside. Larry and Starlow went to the garage to get on the bike and left the Mushroom Castle as well as the city.


	9. Chapter 2-2

**Chapter 2-2: Bone mutation**

Larry drove a long way before he could reach Sandland. However, right before he passed the border, he stopped by a gas station. Starlow, like before, took shelter in his sidepack. When the bike stopped, the star sprite woke up.

"Are we already there?" She asked, peaking outside the sidepack.

"No yet, I have to stop by to get some supplies. You wanna come?" the punk proposed.

The star sprite left the sidepack and followed the koopaling inside the gas station. Luckily, no one turned the place upside down yet so the store had plenty of food and, most importantly, water. Since they would go into a desert, Larry had to make sure the engine of his bike would not overheat before they could reach the capital of Sandland. He took a few bottles and ate through a few snacks as well as keeping some for the journey. He noticed a some combs and took one just in case.

"Why do you take a comb with you?" Starlow asked.

"I want to make sure that I can always be good looking. As I like to said, you never need to get ready when you're already ready." Larry joked.

He took a look in one of the freezer and saw popsicles. He took two of them and approached Starlow.

"Wanna try one of these?" Larry asked.

"Okay, if you insist." The star sprite hesitantly agreed.

They removed the paper wrapping off their popsicles. Starlow was surprised to see that Larry did not gobble through the entire Popsicle. In fact, he was eating it as slowly as he could.

"What's wrong with you? I've never seen you eating so slowly." She asked.

The koopaling did not answer. Nevertheless, the star sprite started eating hers. Larry could tell that it was the first time she ever had a Popsicle as she got hooked on the flavor and started devouring through it until she started screaming with the treat in her mouth. She spat it out.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!? WHY DOES MY HEAD HURT SO MUCH!?" She screamed.

"That's called a brain freeze. That's what happens when you eat it too fast." Larry jokingly answered.

"THEN HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO EAT IT SLOWLY!? THEY'RE TOO DELICOUS FOR THAT!"

"It teaches about patience and retention better than anything else."

They had a friendly dispute about it then looked around to see if there was anything else of interest. Larry spotted some binoculars and put them in his sidepack. They were now ready to leave the gas station. They went back to the bike and entered Sandland. The scorching desert showed no mercy to the unprepared ones as its heat would diminish their morale and make them unable to travel far into the region. The intense heat would also cause mirages that would fool anyone to believe certain things. For Larry and Starlow, however, they had everything to not get fooled by the mirages or be interrupted by the heat. Unlike the Mushroom Kingdom or Grassland, there did not seem to have any signs of dry creatures around. Most people would think that would be due to the lack of civilization in Sandland but, in reality, most of its inhabitants were all over the region but well-hidden from public eyes. The sun was setting and travelling at night was even worse than at day. The desert would turn from a region-sized oven into a giant freezer. The koopaling drove until he reached an oasis. He knew it was not a mirage because he was not having a heatstroke. The oasis had a small outpost next to it for travellers that passed by and a few palm trees surrounded the body of water. The outpost had glasses to allow travellers to drink from the oasis in case they forgot their bottles of water. Starlow peeked out to see the impressive view. She was impressed but that was not what she wanted to see.

"Why are we there? I thought we already had water." Starlow asked.

"This, my friend, is one of the purest forms of water you could ever find in the world, the other one being from glaciers of course." Larry answered.

"Are we really friends now? I don't recall that we have a good relationship between us two."

"Since we're travelling together, get used to it."

"I'm only here to retrieve the royal artifacts, not make friends."

"Are you sure about that? We'll be together for a while you know. You might want to make some friends to make the job faster."

"I'm fine. I only need you to complete my taks."

"So once that's done, you'll go back to your family."

"…"

Larry noticed that Starlow seemed distant when he mentioned about her family. If she did resent them, she would rather stay here. Heck, she would do all in her capabilities to stay here as long as she wanted to. Though, Larry did not think that she resented them. He had something else in mind, a good reason why Starlow seemed so evasive about the subject.

"Do you at least have a family?" He asked.

"Well yes! Like I said before, I have parents, a brother and a…"

She suddenly stopped speaking and sighed out of sadness. It seemed to have worked. Larry figured out that she was lying to him.

"No, I don't have anyone. As a star sprite, we're all created individually without any link to each other."

"Why would you lie to me?"

"The stars told me to pretend to have a family to better understand people here. We're not supposed to tell them that we don't have families."

"That's wrong, Starlow. If you can't answer a question, just tell it. Don't go all the way to lie in people's faces."

"I'm sorry. I was just doing what the stars told me."

"I see. And you would prefer to go back with them instead of staying here with us?"

"I have no choice. I'm not supposed to make friends here because, once we restore the world, I'll be forced to go back among the others."

"Starlow, could you simply tell them that you want to stay here? Professionally, it'll be much more efficient because you'll already be there if something else ever happens."

"I don't know. Maybe with what you told me about professionalism they'll let me stay here. Thank you for the idea, Larry, but may I ask you something?"

"Go on."

"Why do you want to help me?"

"I figured out that you were close to Princess Peach. Also, back at Mario's house, you shredded a subtle tear when we could not find the Mario brothers. I guessed that you're also close to those plumbers. Plus, with what you just told me about you and the other star sprite, your stars would be more efficient if they get to have their employees integrate themselves with a planet's inhabitants."

"I guess so. I never thought someone would see that Peach and the Mario brothers were like siblings to me, especially from someone like you. I thought your kind, not all the koopas in the world but the ones with spiky shells were selfish and arrogant."

"I presume you got that from my dad Bowser."

"HE'S YOUR DAD!?"

"Yes and no, he adopted me so I'm not one of his children by blood unlike Junior."

"I never thought he would be able to raise someone to be so kind and caring."

"Don't forget gluttonous and aggressive."

"Oh he's the spitting image!"

They laughed for a good while until the sun left and made place for the moon. They stayed inside the outpost and turned off the cooling unit to activate the heating unit. The outpost had beds prepared for travellers and Larry took one of the many beds in here. Starlow decided to sleep on a table as always. The punk went to the showers to wash himself and returned to his bed.

"Tell me, Starlow. How did you get to meet your dad?" Larry asked.

"I met him a long time ago. Your little brother was not even born." The star sprite answered.

"That's interesting. When exactly did you meet him?"

"I don't really remember. I just recall that someone tried to assassinate him but I could stop him. In fact, I didn't see your dad much. After that mission, I had to read the archives and I found out about your current family."

"Current family? You mean that your archives could have something about my true family?"

"Alas, I already checked that but I couldn't find anything. Speaking of family, Who are we looking for in Sandland?"

"Before I tell you, can you tell me who Geno is?"

"What are you talking about? I don't know anyone by that name."

"It sounds strange because you mentioned that name the other night while we were sleeping."

"You got me. He's the contact I'm looking for but I can't tell you what he looks like because I never saw his true form. He would always possess an object, preferably a doll, to meet others."

"So we could meet him without knowing?"

"He'd recognize me so not really. Now, about that person you're looking for."

"His name's Morton. You'll recognize him very easily because he's the only koopa with a dark skin tone."

"Did he spend too much time in the oven?" Starlow tried to joke.

Larry could tell that Starlow was not used to perform humor and wanted to tell her. The joke first started off as offensive but, while still thinking about the joke, he eventually realised how funny it was. He burst out in laugher.

"Why are you laughing? I thought I said something mean." The star sprite reminded him.

"I know but I pictured it the wrong way." Larry laughed.

Starlow laughed too. It took some time before they stopped laughing and took back their breath.

"What kind of person is he?" Starlow asked.

"Well… I remember that he wasn't always open as he is today." The punk started.

He looked outside at the oasis and started remembering about something that happened a long time ago, a time where Junior was not born yet.

 _On a special vacation trip, Bowser brought his seven children on a tour around Amarioca. This day, he stopped by the very same oasis that Larry and Starlow were staying for the night. The outpost, however, was not as big or as equipped as it was today. Larry was just playing with his goomba plush. He kept it as a souvenir to remember the owner of the orphanage he used to reside in before Bowser adopted him and his siblings. He saw one of his big brothers, Morton, sat down near the oasis. The latter was not doing anything in particular. Larry joined him and notice that his brother was sad._

" _What's wrong, Morton?" Larry asked._

" _MORTON HAS NO FRIENDS! MORTON LONELY!" his brother loudly replied._

 _Morton was known to be able to speak fluidly and normally in public but preferred to speak in a simplistic and crude manner with his family. All the koopalings already spent a whole year in a public school save for Larry who had to be babysat by Kamek. Morton was not lucky with making friends at kindergarten. His threatening appearance caused other children to run away in fear, mistaking him for a bully. Even though one of his other brothers, Roy, seemed threatening, at least Roy kept his mouth shut while Morton had it opened all the time adding to the scariness._

" _Don't worry, Morton. I'll help you have friends the next time we go to school." Larry proposed._

" _LARRY WILL HELP MORTON!? MORTON HAPPY!" His big brother screamed as he hugged his little brother._

"It didn't take a while to solve his problem. In the first week of school, I found a way and then he became the most popular koopa at school then in the kingdom and now in Amarioca." Larry concluded.

Starlow was fascinated that Larry was the kind of person who would be the first to help anyone. She did make the right choice of a partner for her journey. They both went to sleep. The next day, Larry combed his hairs and tried the binoculars and spotted a small group of dry creature in the horizon. What he saw then was worrying: The monsters started dismembering themselves and gathered into a pile of bone to turn into an abomination.

"What are you looking at?" Starlow asked as she just woke up.

"That's not good." Larry whispered.

"What's happening?"

The abomination was moving quickly toward the outpost.

"We need to leave now! We've got company!" Larry pressured.

The koopaling grabbed his sidepack and rushed outside. Starlow followed him and they both got on the bike. At the same time, the abomination reached the outpost. They could see it perfectly: the abomination took the form of a sandworm. They screamed in unison as Larry violently twisted the gas lever to move out of the way. The worm chased them through the desert.

"Larry, we need to find a way to get rid of it!" Starlow screamed.

However, they started smelling something burning. The engine was overheating.

"I can't right now! I need to cool down the bike or we'll be doomed! Grab the wheel and don't let go! Don't worry about speed, I'll hold the accelerator!" Larry ordered.

The star sprite grabbed after the handlebar with her mouth. The koopaling searched in his sidepack and pulled out a water bottle. He opened the bottle with his mouth and kept the cork between his teeth. He put the bottle between his legs and opened the water tank of his bike. The engine was starting to smoke. He emptied the whole bottle into the tank and closed it back. He put the bottle and its back in his sidepack and took back control of his bike. The smoke vanished and the smell of burning was gone. Starlow returned in the sidepack. As for the worm chasing them, he summoned the orange wand and started waving around, hoping something would happen. The worm was getting closed until all the sand around started turning into rocks preventing the worm of catching up with them. The worm slid on the rock formation but lost all its speed.

"Yes! That'll…"

"Larry, look out ahead!" Starlow interrupted.

Larry looked back ahead and saw a carcass of an old war machine. This carcass dated from a very long time ago, even before the drakoopas went almost extinct. At the speed he went, he could not slow down or avoid it in time so he performed a power slide to slow down in an attempt to minimize the damage. Despite his best effort, he still went into the carcass. They collided into the rusted tank. Fortunately, Larry was not severely wounded. The punk stood up as fast as he could. Meanwhile, the worm just left the rocky zone and caught up on them. The bike broke down and Larry and Starlow had nowhere to run against the worm.

"What are we gonna do?" The star sprite panicked.

"We'll have to fight it!" Larry replied.

"But how are we gonna…"

Larry already had something in mind. He turned his wand into a gauntlet like he did when he just became the Grassland king and prepared himself against the worm. Worm tried to slam him with its entire body. The koopaling readied his gauntlet to stop the worm.

"It won't work, Larry! You're crazy!" Starlow kept saying.

The worm hurled his entire body toward them but was soon stopped as the koopaling was able to stop him with the gauntlet.

"Woah! That's incredible! I didn't know the wands could give so much strength!" the starlow cheered.

With the worm in his gauntlet, Larry grabbed it firmly and swung it into the defunct machine. The impact was so strong that the worm broke into multiple pieces that flew everywhere. Only its makeshift head remained and Larry threw it in the distance and turned the gauntlet back into his silver ring. As the head landed, it grew limbs and struggled to ramp back toward the duo. Both Larry and Starlow heard a whistling sound in the distance as a trail of black smoke travelled toward the bone head and blew it into much smaller pieces. The duo followed the smoke trail with their eyes and saw some tanks heading toward them. Each tank had a shyguy on top of them but they were wearing gas masks instead of regular ones. The tanks stopped near the duo and one of the shyguys jumped off.

"My goodness! We saw the whole thing from afar: the chase, the crash and the fight. I'm surprised that you two could defend yourselves against something that big." The shyguy complimented.

"Give credits to him. I didn't do anything." Starlow told him.

The shyguy looked at the machine's carcass where he saw the broken down bike.

"We're currently in a dire situation and we can't let anyone in Sandland City but, since your ride broke down, we'll escort you there and get your bike fixed. We'll also patch you up. You don't seem too wounded but we don't want to take any risks. You'll however have to leave as soon as your bike will be ready."

Some shyguys grabbed the bike and attached it after a tank. Everyone moved out toward Sandland City.

"Once we get here, we'll have to inspect your belongings to make sure you're not carrying anything suspicious." The shyguy told the duo.

"What's happening there? It's quite unusual for Sandland to do such thing." Larry asked.

"There are rumors about a possible conspiracy theory in town that is endangering the king."


	10. Chapter 2-3

**Chapter 2-3: The conspiracy theory**

Larry was escorted to Sandland City , surrounded by a tall wall made of sand blocks, but, instead of entering by the main entrance, the shyguys brought him into a secret passage that led directly to the town hall. Once inside the hall, he was asked to stay in an office where a shyguy would inspect his belongings. He had to lend his sidepack to the shyguy.

"Let's see… Some snacks, bottles of water, one empty, a comb, binoculars, some papers. Let's see those papers… A peace treaty renewal written by Princess Toadstool?"

Larry nodded.

"With the incident that occurred during the big day, some new leaders might've taken over the lands and she wants to make sure that the peace treaty is still standing." The koopaling replied.

"And you also brought your passport?" The shyguy asked as he pulled Larry's passport out of the sidepack.

"That's strange. I never put that in it." Larry confusedly answered.

"I did while you weren't looking back at your house. I hid it deep behind the food." Starlow told him.

"Even with a passport, we still cannot let you stay longer than required."

The shyguy asked for his wallet which Larry lent.

"Alright… A credit card, a bank card, two business cards, Larry Lights and Electrodrome, three sports membership cards for bowling, tennis and equestrian."

Larry Lights was Larry's main source of income. After school, he went taking special classes in electric engineering instead of going to college and started his business. He had been working in fabricating all sorts of lights for a few years. It was his job at day from 9am to 5pm and was located in Grassland City.

The Electrodrome was Larry's second job. It all started as a hobby of being a DJ in a small nightclub after work until it grew into a full-fledged job when the Electrodrome was built in Mushroom City. With how close Grassland and the Mushroom Kingdom were, Larry did not waste too much time travelling from one city to another city. He used to work as a DJ from 6pm to 12am.

During weekends, he practiced three sports. Tennis was his favorite sport and the one he was best at. He obtained so many trophies in this sport that he had to empty an entire room back home to make place for all his awards. He would play tennis during the afternoon every weekend.

Equestrian came to a close tie with tennis. It all started at the previous Olympics game where he would, as usual, support Bowser during the games until he saw the horses and got hooked on them. It was very surprising for everyone to see that Larry participated in the Olympics and not in the sport he was the best at. Nevertheless, he put up an outstanding performance that got him a gold medal that he kept in his bedroom all that time. Larry was not the kind of person to show off his achievements like some of his other siblings. Once he won a competition, he would simply announce his victory but not brag about it afterward for a few weeks. Since the Olympics, which were a few months ago, he kept practicing his skills every mornings of the weekends.

Bowling was more of a typical hobby than a competitive sport like the two others. Larry would play bowling during the evenings of his weekends because he still wanted to do sports while picking one that would not exhaust him too much. Sometimes, he would even replace it with some martial art classes if he felt he had enough energy. Instead of a normal class, he would hire a personal trainer.

"Everything seems in order in your sidepack and wallet. May I check those rings you're wearing?" The shyguy asked.

Larry tried to pull out his rings but could not. It was strange. They were not too tight on his fingers. Maybe he had to turn into a king to show the shyguy his true identity. For now, Larry wanted to play safe. He wanted to open his mouth to tell him about the rings but…

"It's dangerous for your fingers to wear rings that small. I'll go get the clips." The shyguy quickly declared.

The shyguy left the room and came back with a pair of clips. He grabbed onto one of the rings Larry was wearing and tried to pull as hard as he could. Alas, the ring did not move, not even a single nanometer. He left the room and came back with many other shyguys. They positioned in line, one behind the other, and all pulled each other and the ring. Instead of pulling out the ring, the shyguys ended up in a pile. They might have been a dozen to do the job but they were no match for a single ring.

"What is with all the ruckus in there!?" A powerful voice spoke.

The powerful voice echoed through the rooms as a giant frog humanoid entered the office. He was green with a white round belly and was wearing a blue cape, a crown, a large pendant on a gold necklace, and gold bracelets. Larry recognized him as the Sandland king. This king tended to be humorous most of the time but, with the current situation in the city, the koopaling was expecting him to be grumpy and paranoid. The king saw him.

"What are you doing here, young boy? The city is off limit for tourists, unless you were already in the city which, in that case, I'll…"

The king did not finish his sentence. While he was looking at Larry, he paused for a brief moment and suddenly put his face on the rings the koopaling was wearing. He pulled out a magnifying glass from a drawer of the desk that was used to inspect Larry's belongings and examined the rings. He left out a plain laugher and his expression became joyful. Meanwhile, the shyguys just got back on their feet and looked at the king, confused.

"Your highness, are you okay?" One of the shyguys asked.

"Oh, yes, yes, everything is fine. Would you all leave us a moment of solitude please? I have some important matters to discuss with our friend here." He cheerfully ordered.

The shyguys stood position and left them alone. The king closed the door and looked back at Larry. He then opened his arm.

"I was not expecting the Goomba King to retire that soon and give his throne to someone like you so soon! He made the right decision though. He was getting quite old and you, an athlean, showed up to succeed him. Speaking of which, is he alright? I've been receiving many reports of catastrophic sightings lately but those are only from my own land." The frog king said.

"Yes, the former king still lives healthfully. I ordered him to stay at the Grassland Fortress while I do some important business. By the way, how did you know that I'm the new king?" Larry asked.

"Let's just say I know a king when I see one. Plus, your rings give a huge hint on your true identity. You are very clever to keep it a secret considering that you are travelling to do that serious business of yours. Many assassins roam the world and love to prey on royalties when an opportunity is given to them. Speaking of business, what are you looking for?"

"Well, my friend here is looking for the royal treasures and…"

"Oh! Where are my manners? I haven't seen your friend before. I am King Wart but you can simply call me Wart. I rule over Sandland." The king greeted Starlow as he lent his hand to her."

"Thank you. I'm Starlow and I've been sent by the stars to restore the world." She replied.

Since the star sprite did not have hands, she had to grab Wart's hand with her mouth. They shook hand and mouth.

"To restore the world, you said? And you need the royal treasures for that?" The king continued.

"Indeed, I know a way to restore the world and get rid of all the dry creatures created by the virus. I'm currently here looking after the red wand."

"Unfortunately, the red wand is in the pyramid and I have received report of a monstrous presence roaming the halls of my castle which is why I reside here. Anyway, I'm sorry if I interrupted you earlier, King Larry, but you were about to mention your mission here. What is it?" Wart curiously asked.

"I want to check if my brother, Morton, is alive." He worryingly answered.

Hearing about the monstrous presence, Larry felt that he was too late to save Morton. However, he still wanted to believe that the monster was something else and that his big brother was still around. But, as he unveiled his mission to the Sandland king, the latter slowly walked to the only window the office had and looked down.

"I am sorry to break it like that but your brother became one of those monsters. We however locked him in a sarcophagus deep inside the pyramid."

A tear went down Larry's face. Morton was one of his favorite siblings because he was almost as old as him. Morton would also stand up for him against anyone who wanted to harm Larry. There was a lot that the two brothers shared in common and their timidity was a first thing in a time, long ago, where Larry had four fangs instead of the two he had now. He still had something in mind though: He would try to free Morton like Isabelle freed Digby.

"I am getting a little hungry. How about we go get some steak at my favorite restaurant?" Wart proposed.

Larry was too sad to answer with words so he simply nodded. The trio left the office and went outside. Starlow was surprised that practically nothing changed in the city. It still had the life and activities before the incident. It was as if the virus never passed by. Larry was too sad to be surprised. He would be too but hearing about Morton's demise concerned him more than the intact state of Sandland.

"Wait! How is it that nothing here changed after the incident!?" Starlow confusedly asked as she followed the two others down the street.

"Well, the masks my subjects are wearing are in fact gas mask which means no gas could ever affect him, and this odd blue gas was no exception. As for me, numerous tests were made that revealed that I have purple cells in my blood which was then theorized that those cells prevented the gas of turning me into a dry creature." Wart explained.

"Can you tell me what happened that day?"

"I'll tell you everything I know once we get there."

After a few minutes, they reached a restaurant and sat around a table on a balcony. A shyguy went serving coffee to the three guests. Before the Sandland king could pick his cup, Larry notice something out of place inside the cup. He took a spoon and plunged it into the hot liquid. The two others did not know what he was doing until he pulled out a small scorpion. It was not that the king was careless in state of emergency. He just wanted to believe that he could still enjoy the many services of his city without anyone trying to kill him.

"Is it frequent to get scorpions in coffee cups?" Larry asked.

"Goodness! Someone was trying to poison me! GUARDS! INVESTIGATE THE PLACE!"

Shyguys with gas masks and what seemed to hold firearms rushed into the restaurant ordering everyone to evacuate the building. A few minutes later, one of them found a disturbing propaganda pamphlet about casting off the king. A few shyguys were arrested for plotting against the Sandland king.

"I should have known. I cannot even trust my favorite restaurant." The Sandland king said.

"What's this all about?" Starlow asked.

"A group of rebels was formed after the incident and they are trying to get rid of me to get the throne. I do not know who leads them but I suspect that Sergeant Guy is behind the rebellion. He had been distant in the previous days after the incident and, one day, he disappeared, never to come back at my side. Before I tell you after the incident, let us head back to the town hall." Wart explained.

The group went back to the town hall. They had a personal chef cook them spaghetti with meatballs, not something anyone would imagine kings to eat. Larry was still sad over losing his brother and it was noticeable due to him not eating the food at all. With his fork, he made a small arena with the pastas and pushed the meatballs around. A shyguy was next to the Sandland king and started explaining what happened during the big day. Wart did not explain anything because it was suspected that the blue gas had amnesia-inducing properties to prevent any survivors to track down the culprit.

"On the big day, we met our visitor who claimed to represent a company called the Space Federation. The meeting went as expected all day long. At the end of the meeting, the representative gave a box to King Wart here. Once he opened it, the entire pyramid got filled with blue gas. At first, there did not seem to be any effects other than the king's loss of memory until we saw that the representative turned into a dry creature, not only him but also Morton Dawney Jr…"

Larry was shocked: regardless of when he would have arrived, it would already be too late to save Morton because he turned the very same day the incident started. In some way, it made him less sad because he realized he would have never been able to save him. However, this disturbing new also worried him as maybe more of his siblings, including his father, could have been turned into dry creatures before he could even do anything. The shyguy continued with his explanation. Like Larry, Morton had a last name different from Bowser's that would be used publicly for unknown reasons.

"We managed to lock the dry Morton in one of the sarcophagus deep in the pyramid. As for the representative, we took him into a top secret place and studied him. We discovered that the representative was in fact a space pirate working for a person simply referred as MOM. Luckily, he was breathing the blue gas and we could analyse all of its properties. It also evaporates at an incredibly fast pace preventing anyone to gather it in high quantity. We were not sure how the king survived the blue gas until a blood analysis revealed that special purple blood cells were found in his blood. We assumed that it prevented him to turn into a dry creature. We also received reports that the same gas was release in town but nothing happened there. We tried to communicate this information to the other lands but our communications as well as our fast-travelling services were sabotaged. That is all we know about the incident."

"I know that those monsters can transfer the blue gas in a liquid state which is more dangerous than in its gas form. One of those dry creatures wounded me and a doctor found a blue substance in my blood. He said that I was lucky to just faint rather than turn into a monster. The purple blood cells indeed protect from the blue gas. However, if the gas is a liquid, the entirety of someone's blood must contain those purple cells to be actually immune to it or else it can still have damaging impacts on someone." Larry said.

The others could tell that he got over his brother's demise despite being only a few hours after this grim new was announced. The koopaling starred at his plate full of spaghetti and meatball and started eating it. He did not gobble through it like the king was expecting.

"Well, at least Larry is back in the mood to eat." Starlow comforted.

The king handed the duo the pamphlet that was found back at the restaurant and asked them to find the meaning of it. They installed themselves in a living room. The pamphlet read as follow.

"When the sun leaves the stage;

And the moon becomes the star;

Follow the mouse toward where the sun left;

As he will reach the place where darkness and light used to coexist."

"Those first two lines might refer the transition between day and night. I'm not sure about the mouse though." The star sprite guessed.

Larry was combing his hairs, sat on a couch.

"The mouse the pamphlet's talking about might refer to Mouser Avenue. Where the sun leaves is to the West so we're talking about someplace on the West side of Sandland City on Mouser Avenue. Where darkness and light used to coexist could mean anything." Larry replied.

As they kept decrypting the message, King Wart came back with an unusual present.

"One of my guards found these back at the pyramid. I am sure you would want to keep them as a memento of your brother Morton." The king said as he handed a pair of black spiked bracers to Larry.

(Those bracers… I remember that day when…)

 _It was a fall school day right during lunch break. Larry called in sick so he could not be there during the morning classes. Kamek drove him to school and gave him Morton's bracers because Morton forgot them at home. Larry got out the car and waved at Kamek as he drove away. The koopaling was lucky to be just in time for lunch and went in the schoolyard. He walked around and eventually found Morton sitting on a bench in a faraway corner of the yard. Like always, Morton was sad and lonely and was eating his lunch alone._

" _Hi Morton, you forgot your bracers back home so I brought them to you." Larry said._

" _NO! MORTON NOT WANT BRACERS! BRACERS SCARY FOR OTHER KIDS!" His brother shouted as stood up to take the bracers and throw them away._

" _Morton, these are just bracers. No one's actually scared of those."_

 _Morton said nothing. He sat back on the bench. They then heard someone screaming for help. In the distance, they could see a group of small kids being bullied by bigger kids. Larry smiled and looked back at his big brother._

" _I have an idea, Morton. How about you teach those bullies a lesson?"_

" _BUT BULLIES DON'T HARM MORTON! MORTON NO BUSINESS WITH BULLIES! MORTON TOO SCARY FOR THEM!"_

" _Exactly! Stand up for the small kids as you'll stand up for me. This should make it easier for you to get friends. People love those who protect the weaklings."_

" _YES! LARRY SMART! MORTON ROLL OUT!" Morton shouted as he started running toward the bullies._

" _One last thing before you deal with them." Larry said._

 _His big brother suddenly stopped and looked back at his little brother._

" _Don't forget the bracers. This should scare them more."_

" _YES! LARRY VERY SMART! BRACERS VERY SCARY!" Morton shouted as he picked up the bracers he threw and wore them._

 _Larry followed Morton until he reached the bullies. The latters were back so they did not notice Morton making the element of surprise imminent. Larry kept his distance in case things would get out of control._

" _Hey you! Who do you think you are picking on kids that can't defend themselves?" Morton started._

 _The bullies turned around and got horrified when they saw him._

" _Aaaah! I haven't seen you before. Where'd you come from? Those are some nice bracers you're wearing." One of them stuttered._

" _Where I come from doesn't matter, but where you'll end up will." Morton threatened as he cracked his fists._

 _The bullies ran away faster than a kart. Children surrounded Morton and congratulated him for taking defence for the smaller children. Morton now had all he ever wanted: friends. He looked back at Larry and thumbed up to him. Larry simply winked back and the sun blinded him._

The koopaling snapped out of it and got an idea of what the last line could mean. It angered him though.

"No way would they hold their meeting there. If they do, I'm gonna tear apart the guy that got the idea of such place." He said as he left the town hall and put Morton's bracer in his sidepack.

"Wait, Larry, where are you going?" Starlow asked.

The sun was setting while the moon was rising. Larry ran down Mouser Avenue to the West and stopped before he could get in his destination. The door to the building he was thinking was half-opened. Some light came from inside.

"What is this place?" The star sprite asked.

"You'll know it once inside. Speaking of which, since you're much smaller than me and harder to see, can you infiltrate the building and listen to the meeting? I'd go myself but they'd spot me right away." Larry ordered.

The star sprite nodded. She slipped through the door. Many minutes later, she came back shocked.

"What are they planning?"

"I'm shocked that they held the meeting in your big brother's house. I'd be also infuriated if someone lacked respect for my fallen close ones. Anyway, they're planning to get the red wand from the pyramid and to threaten King Wart by saying they'll destroy it if Sergeant Guy isn't named king. They have a truck to carry the rebels and a tank for the sergeant, all of that ready to move out to the pyramid right now waiting on the other side of the wall there. They dug an underground passage from Morton's house to leave the city." She explained.

"With the bike still being fixed, we'll have to act now before they get away."

They had to ask the permission to a guard to leave the city before they climbed up the wall and told him about the rebels' plan. Once on the wall, Larry and Starlow saw the rebels getting in a truck that left briefly. The tank, however, was still there as the crew was making preparation.

"I can make you land safely on the tank without them noticing." Starlow said.

"We'll wait until they close the hatch."

The crew entered the tank and closed the hatch. Larry jumped of the wall and Starlow used her magic to slow down his fall. The tank's engine started as the koopaling landed on the machine. The tank slowly moved away from the city.


	11. Chapter 2-4

**Chapter 2-4: Morton Koopa Jr.**

Larry and Starlow laid low on the tank. It was their only way to get to the Sandland pyramid without attracting too much attention. As the tank moved toward its destination, the koopaling took the time to look at his locket. His companion also looked at it.

"How close are you to them?" Starlow asked.

"Though I was adopted, Bowser raised me like one of his child. There are many fond memories I share with him. As for Junior, he's one of my favorite siblings, if not, my favorite sibling. It's a shame that he couldn't even get to know or even see his mother." Larry answered.

"What happened to her?"

Larry wanted to avoid answering the question but, since he grew closer to her, he decided to answer it.

"Can you keep a secret?" He asked.

"How is his mother a secret?" The star sprite asked back.

"The thing is no one is supposed to know about Junior's mother. Bowser kept it a secret during all those years he had him and never spoke directly to anyone about the mother. It just happened that I overheard him mentioning her multiple times. I'm not sure exactly what happened to her but it must've been heartbreaking because Bowser would always cry every time he talks to himself about her. Though you may think I know a lot about the mother, I only know her name: Clawdia."

"Why would Bowser keep it as a secret?"

"I'm not sure myself. I think he's afraid that a certain thing would happen if he ever told about her to anyone let alone Junior."

A few minutes later, they could see the pyramid from afar. The hatch then opened and a shyguy came out to see the pyramid better. Larry was right behind him and did nothing to not blow his cover. The shyguy, however, decided to look behind and spotted him.

"Intruder alert!" He shouted.

The shyguy then immediately rushed toward Larry, unarmed. The latter only had to move aside to avoid his charge. The shyguy then fell down the tank and tried his best to catch up to it. Alas, the tank was too fast. Another shyguy, this time holding a stick, came out the hatch and tried to hit the koopaling with it. Larry chopped through the shyguy's hand causing him to drop his weapon and threw him down behind the tank. A third shyguy, holding a curved sword, left the tank's interior and charged at Larry. He swung his sword but Larry dodged swiftly and grabbed him from the armed arm. He then threw the shyguy overboard. A fourth shyguy came out of the tank. Unlike the others who were wearing gas masks, this one was wearing a normal mask and wore a green uniform.

"How many of you are there in this thing!?" Larry impatiently asked.

"I'm Sergeant Guy. I'm the last one and the toughest." The sergeant replied.

"Wait, if you're the last one, who's driving the tank?"

"I won't take long to get rid of you!"

The tank was driving itself. The koopaling looked past the sergeant and saw that there was a cliff before the pyramid.

"Ack! The tank's gonna jump off a cliff! Starlow, find a way to steer it!" Larry ordered.

The star sprite nodded and went past the sergeant who tried to catch her but failed.

"It doesn't matter. I'll deal with that deformed firefly once I'm done with you." The sergeant said as he charged toward the koopaling.

The sergeant proved to be a more challenging opponent than the other shyguys. He knew more advanced techniques in CQC and used them all against Larry. Thankfully, Larry knew a lot from martial arts and was able to fend the sergeant's attacks and kick him back near the hatch.

"I would've never thought I'd be fighting an F3 finalist, but I'm not planning to win your way!" Sergeant Guy said as he pulled a small firearm from his uniform and pointed at the koopaling.

There was no getting out of that one. Larry was too far to reach the sergeant before he could shoot and the bullet would move too fast for him to avoid it. He had no choice but to kneel down and surrender. This act did not make the sergeant change his mind as he armed his weapon by pulling the hammer and…

The tank violently steered to the left. Larry could grab on something but the sergeant fell sideways dropping his firearm that bounced off the tank. The sergeant tried to get back in the hatch but the koopaling caught up to him and delivered a palm strike on the back of the sergeant's head, knocking him unconscious. He then joined Starlow inside the tank and put the unconscious shyguy in a corner. They drove the tank around the cliff and finally reached the pyramid. There, the truck from earlier was already here. Two soldier guys stood position near the truck and saluted the tank as it stopped near them. Many shyguys were waiting behind the truck for something.

"The sergeant brought civilians here? And he didn't bother to arm them?" Larry whispered.

"What kind of person would do that?" Starlow asked.

"The kind of person who doesn't care for their safety."

They took the unconscious shyguy and pushed him up the hatch. The soldiers suspected something and climbed on the tank. They saw that the sergeant was not awake and pointed their firearms down the hatch. Larry had to get out with his hands up. The soldiers took him in front of the other shyguys and brought the unconscious one between everyone.

"You better give a really good reason not to shoot you." One of the soldiers threatened.

"Would you follow a leader that would risk your life just to named king?" Larry asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at them! They don't even have weapons and I doubt they know anything about combat."

"You do have a point but that still doesn't change our mind."

"You do know that there's a dangerous monster in there, right? And I'm not talking about Morton."

"Prove it!"

"I'm sure Sergeant Guy knows about the monster's existence but omitted to tell anyone because he knew no one would follow him."

"That doesn't prove anything. You have something else to say?"

"Well…"

Someone threw sand at Larry's face. It was Sergeant Guy who just regained consciousness. He quickly stood up, took one of the soldiers' firearms and rushed inside the pyramid. Everyone was surprised to see the sergeant leaving them behind. The soldiers helped Larry clean his face with some water.

"What took him to just leave us like that?" one of the soldiers asked, confused.

"I told you he knew about the other monster. He knew that no one would join him so he just kept it a secret." Larry said.

"But why would he do that? He's always been respectful to his men."

"Events can change a man into anything. I suggest you bring everyone back to town."

"I'm sorry. We only obey to our superiors."

"You may not listen to Larry but I'm sure you'll listen to…"

Larry snapped his fingers and revealed his true identity to the few shyguygs around.

"…King Larry."

They all kneeled down and apologized for mistreating him. They all climbed into the truck but, before they could go, Larry talked to the driver.

"Don't take the main entrance. Take the tunnel from where you left town. No one must know that you all left town without permission." The Grassland king ordered.

The driver nodded and drove away. Larry and Starlow proceeded to enter the pyramid. Larry reverted back to his normal clothes but kept the wand in his hand as it was dark inside the pyramid. Since his friend could not generate a powerful light with her body, the koopaling used the orange wand as a torch.

"How can you use the orange wand with ease? At your age, no prince would be able to do most of what you did." She asked.

"There was a day where I accidentally held the wand. Afterward, Captain Goomba, who is now my advisor, would occasionally visit me during my childhood to teach me how to us the wand. He would sneak the wand out of the castle. Once I moved to Grassland, the visits became more frequent as it was easier and safer for him to teach me."

"Why would he teach you such things?"

"The first time he taught me about it, I asked him that question. His only answer was to give me back what belonged to me in the first place. At first, I thought it was the orange wand. But then, I realized that he meant all of Grassland. However, he never told me what an athlean was."

"Athleans used to rule over Grassland before the Dragon War."

"I already knew about the first thing but I never heard about the Dragon War."

"Oh scrap! I should've kept my mouth shut."

"Is the Dragon War the name of the conflict between the eight royal drakoopa families?"

"So you already knew about it?"

"Just the conflict, not its name."

They kept walking down the first corridor until they reached a room so big the wand could not enlighten all of it. They moved around and went into the first room they saw. Inside, they saw carvings of characters resembling Morton on all the walls and a bookstand with a huge book on it.

"Where did I walk into?" Larry curiously asked.

"You mean you never went in this room?" The star sprite asked back.

"I didn't visit the pyramid many times. It's the first time I see this room. Since you seem to know something about history, can you tell me something about all those Mortons on the wall?"

"I don't believe they're all Mortons, but his ancestors."

Starlow approached one of the walls. Some writings were found under the carvings but were written in a language Larry did not know.

"Those are the names of the koopas. They all used to be kings and queens of Sandland. The last ruler was Mortimer Noctean."

"I suppose noctean is one of the royal families."

"Indeed, this means that your brother Morton is a noctean."

"Now that you mention it, Morton sounds a lot like Mortimer, don't you think."

"I don't see the link between Mortimer and Morton."

"His name before we got adopted was Morton Jr and Bowser didn't remove the Jr part when he gave him the Koopa or Dawney name. This might imply that his true name is Mortimer Noctean Jr."

"I didn't know that. It's quite interesting that his name resembles his father's name."

"Thing is why wouldn't Morton tell anyone about that. He went to the pyramid many times."

"I don't think it's a public access room. With information like that, I doubt anyone could enter the room without a special permission."

"I guess so. We're wasting too much time. We need to find the red wand before Sergeant Guy does."

They left the room and went to another room. A terrifying growl echoed through the rooms. Larry and Starlow kept walking until they found a corridor leading downward with many vases standing along. They hid behind one of them as they heard footsteps coming their way. They saw a monster completely covered in blue sludge. It did not have a specific or recognizable appearance, so neither Larry nor Starlow could compare it to anyone or anything they knew. Once the monster passed by the vase where they were hiding behind, they snuck out of their hiding spot and carried on.

"That was scary." Starlow whispered, terrified.

"I don't wanna be the poor soul that was victim of the result." Larry said.

They walked down the corridor and reached another room. It was the meeting room where Morton was supposed to be. This room had a huge table with many chairs around. Some of them were still standing while the rest had fallen. As they examined the chairs, they heard a firearm being armed. A light blinded them for a brief moment and they saw the sergeant pointing a rifle at them. A flashlight was strapped under the gun.

"I knew you'd follow me down here. Put away your stick, keep moving and find me the red wand" The sergeant ordered.

Larry had no choice. He carried on while the sergeant was following him close behind. They went into another room.

"This is how it'll go: you search the wand here and if we don't find it, we'll go elsewhere. Don't try anything and don't go anywhere near the sarcophagus." The shyguy ordered.

The koopaling looked around in the room. A big sarcophagus with a lock on it caught his attention and approached it. A gunshot echoed through the room as a bullet went past Larry and hit the wall. The noise caused the sarcophagus to violently tremble. Someone or something was inside knocking.

"I'm just looking for the red wand, no need to put pressure on me." He said while looking back at the sergeant.

"Don't play stupid with me. Who would hide a wand with a monster?"

"That seems like a brilliant idea if a rebel scum like you tries to usurp the throne."

"Don't make me laugh and keep searching. You're wasting my time." Sergeant Guy threatened, cocking the firearm and pointing it at Larry.

The koopaling looked around the dancing sarcophagus and saw it: the red wand was lying right behind the sarcophagus. He picked it up. The sergeant went straight to him and tried to take it from his hand. This proved to be a terrible mistake as Larry took the sergeant and threw him on the wall. The impact caused the sergeant to drop his weapon that the koopaling took.

"We have the red wand now! Let's get out of there, Larry!" Starlow said.

"You go ahead with the red wand. I have something to do first. Be careful of the monster." Larry replied as the handed the wand to her.

The star sprite nodded while taking the wand with her mouth and left the room. The punk pointed the firearm at the shyguy.

"Open the sarcophagus." He ordered.

"You're crazy. There's no way I'm going to…"

Larry shot near the sergeant's feet and cocked the firearm.

"Okay, I can see you mean business. I'll do it."

The sergeant approached the sarcophagus. He was trembling but had no choice. His life was at risk both ways. As soon as he unlocked it, the sarcophagus brutally opened and a dry creature, who was imprisoned inside, jumped at the shyguy. Though it was just a skeleton, Larry recognized it to be Morton. He rushed at the monster and tackled him to save the sergeant who proceeded to run away. There was only Larry and his dry brother in the room. The koopaling took back his wand to provide better lighting than the flashlight.

"Hey, Morty, you remember me? It's me, Larry." Larry asked.

The monster did not react to his words. How was Isabelle able to free Digby? The monster proceeded to perform a slash attack with its claws. Larry stepped back but fell on his rear.

"Argh, not again!" He said, remembering his encounter at the Grassland Fortress.

The monster attacked again but the koopaling used his sidepack as a shield. The claw tore the sidepack apart. Many snacks and a few water bottles fell off the bag, so did the spiked bracers. The monster stopped attacking and slowly picked up the bracers. Larry stood up to see that the dry creature reacted to the presence of the bracers. The monster stared at them and even put them on its skeletal hands. The monster then looked back at the koopaling.

"…Larry… LARRY!?" The monster said as a strong light came out of its body.

It worked. The light was so strong that it blinded Larry. He then relieved one of his treasured memories.

 _Larry was walking in a mall looking for Morton. They had an important meeting with the koopa king. He went down some stairs to an area with many chairs and round tables. He finally spotted his brother at a table speaking to many people. Over the years, Morton made many friends and his versatile personality opened him many doors to different works. He however chose to start his own business, Morton Construction. All the people he was talking to were former clients he worked with. He was known to keep his relationships with his clients even if the job was done._

" _So I asked him: Wait, you want one more ton or one Morton?" He joked._

 _All his friends laughed. This was another trait Morton developed as he grew up: He would most likely make jokes to entertain people or raise their morale. Larry approached them. Morton saw him._

" _Speaking of the devil, here's my friend Larry! Say hello to them, Larry!" The dark skinned koopaling greeted._

" _Hi guys! Sorry I can't stay longer to hang out with you guys. We have to go, Morton. King Bowser called an important meeting." Larry said while waving at the others._

 _Morton said goodbye to all is friends and joined his little brother. They walked out the mall._

" _How do you want to travel back home?" Larry asked._

" _TRAIN! LARRY LOVE TRAIN!" His brother shouted._

 _They walked to the train station and bought tickets for the first class. They were the only one in the first class wagon. They sat down next to each other. As the train moved, Larry looked outside to see the landscape move. It was always his favorite way to travel around Amarioca._

" _Larry…" Morton started._

" _What's on your mind?" Larry asked._

 _He looked back at him and saw that Morton had tears on his face._

" _What's wrong, Morty? Why are you crying?"_

" _MORTON NOT SAD! MORTON HAPPY! JOY TEARS!"_

" _I never thought you were that…"_

 _Morton grabbed his little brother in his arms and hugged him strong._

" _Morty, I can barely breathe."_

" _Thank you… Larry."_

"LARRY!"

Larry snapped out of it and realized that he found himself in the same position that he was left in his memory. This time, a spectral Morton was hugging him.

"Ugh, even as a ghost, you're strong." Larry joked.

"MORTON HAPPY TO SEE LARRY!" Morton replied as he put down his brother.

They looked at each other without saying a word for a brief moment until Morton lowered his head while making a sad face.

"Morton sorry." His big brother quietly said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Orphanage."

"Morty, this was a long time ago. We grew up and we changed." Larry sighed.

"MORTON KNOW BUT MEMORY HURT MORTON!"

Particles of light started coming out of Morton's body. Like Digby, Morton would vanish.

"Morton has to go." His big brother sadly said.

"I know, Morty. I just wish that it wouldn't happen this way." Larry cried.

"BEFORE MORTON GO, MORTON HAS PRESENT!"

Morton built a small orb of light in his hands and gave it to his little brother. Larry took it but had no idea what it could be. It went into him. His brother started vanishing. They waved at each other until Morton completely disappeared.

"NO WORRY, LARRY! MORTON WATCH YOU!" Morton's voice echoed.

Larry stood here for a moment, giving himself a moment of silence for his brother. He then took back his wand and left the room. He forgot his other belongings but he could not retrieve them. His sidepack was torn apart. On his way back, he did not meet the other monster. In fact, the monster disappeared and he had no idea where it could be. It did not matter for him. He would have never tried to fight it anyway. He was glad he did not have to deal with it on his way out. When he exited the pyramid, he saw many soldier guys standing around the entrance. They signaled they were on his side as they showed that they captured Sergeant Guy. Larry then met up with his friend Starlow who still had the red wand.

"What took you so long?" She asked.

The koopaling only shredded a tear while smiling.

"He's free." He whispered.

His friend understood what he meant. She showed him the red wand. The two wands started reacting with each other by glowing.

"How is it possible? It takes their respective kings to do that." Starlow said, astonished.

"What do you mean?" Larry asked.

The wand fused together to form a single wand with a red stone and an orange stone on it. Starlow had no idea how he could do this by himself, but Larry concluded that what Morton gave him was his noctean powers. This meant that Larry was now an athlean and a noctean at the same time, allowing him to use both the orange wand and the red wand.

"Nevermind that, that was actually what I was planning to do with the wands but I never thought you alone could do it." Starlow smiled.

"Two wands found, five more to go. But before we leave…" Larry smiled back.

He walked toward the sergeant and punched his in the face. His punch was powerful enough to leave an imposing crack on the mask.

"This is for taking Morton's house as a hideout for you rebellions, you inconsiderate prick!" He shouted.

Everyone went back to the courthouse. Sergeant Guy was condemned to community services that consisted of restoring the Sandland Pyramid. The pipeline and the communications were restored, as well as Larry's bike. The duo stayed at the town hall with King Wart. The next day, Peach and Junior joined them to renew the peace treaty and had a feast. The feast proved to be insufficient as Larry already ate half of it by himself. Everyone was resting for the rest of the day. Larry then overheard a conversation between Peach and Starlow:

"How is it going with your task?" Peach curiously asked.

"Everything is going as planned. We found the red wand."

"That's some great news. I knew you and Larry could do it."

They went silent for a moment until…

"Do you think you could stay here with us once your job is done?" The princess asked.

"I'm not sure myself. Larry also proposed me to stay. I'll have to ask the stars. I wish they'll say yes and understand that I love being here with you and the others despite not having been here for quite a long time. I have enough of always having to leave the world to only come back when it needs my help. I want to stay here."

"I also want you to stay with us. Maybe if we can show the stars that you'd be happier to stay here, they'll let you."

They kept talking but the koopaling lost interest in the conversation. He went checking on his little brother. Junior was on a couch playing with his wooden doll. He saw Larry and got excited. The prince left his doll on the couch and went to see his big brother.

"Larry! Did you find one of our siblings?" He asked.

Larry did not answer anything. He just hugged Junior for a long time. His little brother understood that the sibling in question was gone. Junior tried to comfort him with a memory he shared with him.

"Do you remember when you started calling me…" Junior started.

 _On a weekend, Larry went to the Koopa Castle like every other weekend. He found his little brother lying down on his bed with a grumpy face._

" _How's my libra going?" Larry jokingly asked._

 _Since Junior hatched on an October 4th, Junior had the zodiac sign libra. It was quite fitting as it sounded like a play on lil bro. Upon hearing Larry's voice, the prince got out his bed and hugged his big brother. He was grounded for bringing a video game console on a field trip and he could not play any video games for a month._

" _How about we go play some sports?" The koopaling proposed._

 _Junior jumped in excitement. Everyone else tried to propose the prince to do something else besides video games but no one could convince him. Larry, on the other hand, was a different story. The prince always looked at him as a source of inspiration and dreamed one day to be like him: cheerful, cool and sportive. They went playing different sports. Larry showed some tricks to his little brother and even entertained him by doing acrobatics on horseback._

"…My libra." Larry ended.

"Larry, do you know something about my mama?"

"Not much unfortunately, I only heard her name."

"Can you tell me please?"

"Her name was Clawdia."

"That's a beautiful name."

They rested together until Peach and Starlow said that they will head back home. Larry and Junior followed them but not before Wart intercepted Larry.

"King Larry, are you already leaving?" The king asked.

"Yes, I'm going back to the Mushroom Castle." The punk answered.

"Might I propose you to leave your bike here and travel back here anytime you want?"

"That's great! I'll take it."

"I'll also send troops to Grassland to help your people to liberate the city."

"You're doing quite a lot. You're sure you want to help others with the situation you're in?"

"Don't worry, the situation calmed itself down thanks to you and I want to return the favor."

"Alright then, guess I'll contact my…"

"Already done and he'll stay at Grassland onward."

"WHAT!? But I need an advisor at the Mushroom castle!"

"Already planned. You'll get quite the surprise."

Larry did not know who his next advisor would be. He went back home with the others. The sun was setting and Larry decided to go to the balcony to look at the sunset. Someone joined him up there.

"Good evening. You didn't say your name when we first met."

The koopaling looked back to see that it was Isabelle.

"I'm Larry."

"Good, Larry, I have some great news to announce you."

"Are you, be any mean, my new advisor?"

"You guessed it!"

"Why though?"

She paused and slowly walked to the railing, she looked at the sky.

"I realized that the captain was worrying about his people so I proposed to him to be your advisor. I told him that I used to work as a secretary for a mayor back in my world. He accepted right away and immediately left the castle."

"Wow, I didn't notice that in him."

"He didn't want to tell you because he thought no one would replace him if he decided to return to Grassland. Also, I wanted to be with you. I want to thank you for everything you did for me, even if it doesn't seem a lot."

"Isabelle, I'm just doing my job."

"Princess Peach told me that your job is to retrieve your family. You're doing more than just your job, Larry, and I'm thankful that you think of many people including yourself and your family."

Isabelle was the only person Larry met so far that was able to talk about family without angering him. They leaned on the railing and Isabelle kissed Larry on the cheek. He blushed. It was a new step toward a relationship between him and Isabelle but he wanted to make it subtle so that no one would tease them with that. An hour later, they left the balcony and prepared themselves for bed. Larry went to the showers to wash himself and headed to his bedroom. Kamek was already asleep. As Larry was about to go to sleep, Junior had a conversation with Starlow:

"I heard you saying something funny the other night." Junior started.

"What kind of funny thing did I say?" The star sprite asked.

"You were mentioning about a certain Geno."

"I didn't…"

"Is he your lover?"

"NO! He's my contact and… Oh scrap! I already said too much!"

"Would you date him?"

"I hum… Stop it with your questions! You're embarrassing me in front of him."

"Who? Geno?"

"OKAY! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO I LOVE!? I'LL SHOW YOU!"

Larry felt something kissing his cheek. Junior was disgusted to see that while Larry was confused.

"THERE, I'LL ADMIT IT! I LOVE YOUR BROTHER LARRY!"

"Stop it! Don't make me imagine your babies!" Junior horrifyingly screamed as he jumped into his bed sheets.

"You don't actually love me at this point, do you?" Larry whispered to her.

"Don't worry. It was just to keep him shut about Geno." She replied.

They all went to sleep. Larry heard something from Starlow again this night.

"Geno… Please come quickly… We need you…"

 **END OF ACT 2**


	12. Chapter 3-1

**ACT 3: SIREN'S CALL**

 **Chapter 3-1: Paranormal activities**

 _ **Larry was sitting on one of the many chairs gathered around a long stage. He was not sure why he was here. Many other people sat around him. He looked around him and saw that he was in some kind of theater.**_

" _ **Ladies and gentlemen, today, it is the eleventh annual costume gala. We introduce you to this event with Birdo under the theme: The whole new world." A speaker announced.**_

 _ **Some time passed. Many people came from the curtains, walked on the stage and left back through the curtains. It was a fashion show.**_

" _ **Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, here's Wendy Owen with the theme: Death and decay."**_

 _ **The koopaling got worried. He stared at the curtains that opened up. They revealed a dry creature that slowly walked on the stage. Larry started hearing all sorts of screeches. He looked around him again and realized that all the people turned into dry creatures. Then, the building started quickly filling with water, submerging everyone in seconds. Larry took a deep breath before the water reached his mouth. Once the entire room was submerged, he tried to swim his way out but a dry creature grabbed him by his legs as he left his chair and pulled him back into the crowd. The many monsters around him grabbed him by his limbs and held him down. The dry Wendy swam toward Larry.**_

" _ **Oh Larry-o, you couldn't just leave me like that." The monster that used to be his sister said.**_

 _ **Once she could reach Larry, she caressed his cheeks and brutally pressed on them, forcing the koopaling to spit out all the air he took. She then proceeded to kiss him. Larry was blacking out, drowning.**_

"Larry! Larry!"

Larry woke up out of breath. This time, it was a worried Junior who woke him up. Maybe he just had a nightmare and was looking for someone to reassure him. Kamek was barely awake. He was just woken up by Junior's scream. The prince did not wake the magikoopa up on purpose.

"What's happening, Junior? Did you have a nightmare?" The koopaling asked.

"I heard some strange noises in the castle and I can't find my doll." The prince replied.

"Alright, I'll go have a…"

They heard a loud thud and something breaking into pieces. Starlow, who was sleeping on the small table next to Larry's bed, got startled.

"What was that!?" She stuttered.

Larry left his bed and ran into the main hall. The room was barely illuminated by a few candles. It must have been somewhere like midnight since no one was in the hall, not even a guard. The noise came from the kitchen. He summoned his orange wand to light up the place and immediately went into it the kitchen. Inside, he was a jar in pieces in front of a fridge. He went checking on the broken jar. As he was about to pick up a shard, he heard footsteps and wood rambling. He turned back at the door and saw a shadowy silhouette swiftly leaving the room. He chased after it but, once he returned in the main hall, the silhouette was nowhere to be found. Starlow met up with Larry and provided some light too.

"We have an intruder. Stay quiet." The koopaling said.

They heard something falling off stairs. Their first reflex was to look at the stairs in the main hall but there was no one. The noise woke up a few residents in the castle.

"WHAT'S WITH ALL THE RUCKUS!? I'M TRYING TO SLEEP OVER THERE, SEE!?" Popple's voice let out.

Larry and Starlow went checking the basement. When they reached the stairs that led downstairs, they saw that the door leading to the basement was open. They went downstairs but there did not seem to be anyone down here. All the toads slept in a room on the third floor, Toadsworth and Kamek slept in a different room on the same floor, Peach was sleeping in her room on the last floor and everyone else were either on the first floor or the second one. The duo checked the first room on their left. It was a long room with many supplies inside. It was also colder than any other room to keep certain food fresh so they did not stay to long inside. They then went in a turning corridor on the other side of the first room in the basement and went into a maze of corridors. After a minute, they found Junior's doll sitting under a giant portrait of a pyramid in a desert. Larry picked up the doll.

"Well, at least, we found back the doll." Larry sighed.

"Larry, I don't think there ever was an intruder in the castle. I suspect that the doll is possessed." Starlow said.

The koopaling looked back at the star sprite to see that she was shaking. The idea of a possessed doll made her tremble thus making her terrified.

"Starlow, the doll can't be possessed. There are no boos around here so it can't happen. Even if there were boos around, possessed objects would emit a spectral aura." The koopaling replied.

He looked back at the doll but saw that it disappeared. He did not even feel the doll leaving his grasp. They looked around, scared, and saw the doll running away.

"I told you this thing's possessed!" The star sprite screamed.

They went after the doll. They chased it through the corridors until they cornered it in the showers. The doll had nowhere to run but decided to turn around to face the duo and admitted a fighting stance.

"Looks like it won't go down without a fight." Larry said as he prepared himself.

The doll delivered the first punch but the koopaling deflected it and kicked the doll away. The doll stood up and admitted its stance again. It was only then that it noticed Starlow. Larry used this opportunity to deliver a punch but the doll immediately took his arm. There was a brief moment where no one was moving until…

"Salutations!" The doll greeted.

Both Larry and Starlow were surprised that the doll spoke to them. The doll then released Larry's hand.

"That voice, I recognize it." The star sprite said.

"Allow me to present myself. I am a star sprite first model 63-N-0. You can also refer me as my locally designed name Geno. I was sent by a higher authority to meet up with 5-TAR-70-W or by its locally designed name Starlow."

"Wait, you're Geno!?" The koopaling confusedly asked.

"Indeed, you must have heard my name from my contact."

"Geno, can we please talk about that later? It's one in the morning and I'm tired." Starlow impatiently whispered."

"My apology, I will be waiting here when you need me."

"Wouldn't you want to stay in our bedroom?" Larry proposed.

"As you wish."

The trio left the bathroom and went to bed. Geno sat down next to Larry's bed. Hours later, Larry woke up but Starlow was still sleeping. He saw that Geno was talking to his little brother.

"Wow, I never thought that dolls could be alive!" Junior cheered.

"Actually, I am a star sprite first model. I can take control of anything I wish but I chose to use this doll for its humanoid and simplistic shape."

"I would've so wanted someone like you back at the Koopa Castle."

"Why is that I may ask?"

"I was so lonely back there before the big day. My siblings don't visit me much save for Larry and Lemmy. Don't get me wrong, Larry is my favorite big brother and I love Lemmy but I also want to see my other siblings more and other people."

"I see. How exactly would you describe this Larry?"

"He's the best person someone could ever wish for. He's really cool and I want to be just like him when I grow up."

They kept talking until Starlow woke up. She interrupted the conversation by telling Junior that she had important matters to discuss with the doll. The prince nodded and ran to the door and left the room.

"Tell me, Geno. Why did you only show up now instead of the day the incident happened?" Starlwo asked.

"I was there when the incident happened but I had to look for something to take control of. I was always with you but you could not see me because of my powers. When I saw this doll this koopa over here brought to this room a few days ago, I decided to rest in it." Geno explained.

"But why didn't you reveal yourself earlier?"

"I was following prime directives from my superior authority. My first directive was to ensure that you were in good hands for the task. My second directive was to see if you and your helper could at least start the task you were assigned. Finally, my third and last directive, once the two first completed, was to test your helper in a fight to make sure he was up to the task."

They discussed about their missions for a short amount of time until Larry thought of something.

"Starlow, you remember the two times when we talked about my family, right?"

"Yes but I don't see the relevance with our mission." Starlow replied.

"How is it that you were surprised that Bowser raised me the second time we talked about it despite already knowing that before the first we talked about it."

"Aah! You're right, I didn't remember that!" She gasped.

"What's wrong?"

"I seem to have a memory issue but I don't recall being aware of it. I have no idea how it happened."

"Maybe it happened when you got your brain freeze."

"That's right! This explains so much. Unfortunately, I won't be able to assist you on your next journey. I must go back to the stars to get my memory chip checked. Geno will assist you."

She left faster than Larry could ask him about Geno. The doll, standing right next to him, bowed down to him.

"With Starlow's words, I shall follow your lead." He said.

Before he could head to his next destination, the koopaling had some things to do. First, he picked up the parchment with the strange writings on it. He went looking for Kamek while Geno followed him. The castle residents were surprised to see a doll alive. Larry eventually found Kamek playing chess against Toadsworth. The game was at a stalemate. They were two chess veterans and they both struggled to have the upper hand.

"Excuse me, Kamek. Can you take a look at this and tell me what this is?" The koopaling asked while lending the parchment to the magician.

"Where did you find that?" The magikoopa asked.

"I found it in Bowser's office the other day when I came to rescue you and Junior."

"I do understand the language, somewhat, but it'll take a while."

"Why are you so willing to help me? I thought you only cared for Bowser."

"Things have changed, Larry. With the Koopa Kingdom in ruins, I am nothing but a regular koopa."

There was a brief moment of silence. Toadsworth did not say a word even if he wanted to tell Kamek it was his turn to play. Larry wanted to know a lot about the magikoopa.

"Can we speak in private, Kamek?" Larry asked.

The latter nodded and they left the chess game to enter the room where Toadsworth and Kamek slept. Inside, the magikoopa lied down on his bed while Larry leaned on the wall.

"I know there's been something between you and Junior."

"Nothing happened in the shelter. Junior was a little pest as usual."

"Is that so? You did not seem very sincere when you left the bunker. In fact, you were faking it."

"How did you know?"

"You should've asked Ludwig to teach you about acting. It was obvious that you enjoyed being with Junior in the shelter. What did you do with him?"

"Larry, I don't understand why Bowser would put me with him. It was the first time I got to do something fun with him. All those years, he didn't let me anywhere near him. Why would he let me be with him like that?"

"…"

"Larry, do you still hate me?"

"I do not hate anyone in particular. I want to believe you're a good person but you do so many stupid things, the war declaration by example."

"I always wanted to say I love you and your siblings but I feared that Bowser might scold me. I know I did terrible things. Truth be told, it was an order from…"

Kamek hesitated but he continued.

"…Him."

"Bowser?"

"No, he would never do that to himself. I know there are a lot of things you should not know like Junior's mother or you being an athlean. Since Bowser does not seem to be around, I am willing to tell you that it was an order from… his father."

"His father's alive? Why have I never seen him? Why doesn't he get on the throne?"

"This would imply that he would also have to bring back the royal artifact. It would be too dangerous for him to show up again, his own people having betrayed him during the Dragon War. What you brought me was his order to declare an all-out war on the Mushroom Kingdom that Bowser confiscated when you told on me. He wrote it right after Bowser visited him after so many years of not having seen him. Over the years, I never thought peace would be the solution until I witnessed you and your siblings growing up to be what Bowser always wanted: his children and successful people."

He began crying. Larry realized that Kamek was used by Bowser's father. Why would the former king do that? Why would he not want to raise his own child?

"I could have disobeyed him and raised Bowser properly. Bowser would have actually loved me and let me help him raise Junior. It's not like his father could have punished me from where he is."

"Where is he?"

"I don't remember. It's been a long time I didn't see him so he sent me letters like this one. While you go check on your siblings, I will do my best to remember where he lives. Does that work with you?"

Larry did not say anything. He had no business with Bowser's true father but he was curious about why he never showed up. Plus, he had the royal koopa artifact, a treasure thought to be lost a very long time ago. Starlow and Geno would certainly need it to restore the world. He simply nodded and headed back to the door.

"I won't stop you from seeing Junior but I want you to promise me that you'll change for the better because once we get back to our kingdom we'll have a lot to do and the next Koopa king will want to be able to trust you. Another thing: What exactly happened during the Dragon War?" Larry said as he opened the door.

"I don't remember much and even if I did I don't want to relive it again. It was the worst part of my life." Kamek quietly cried.

Kamek indeed witnessed the events of the Dragon War but it must have been horrifying if he did not want to speak about it. When Larry left the room, he saw that Geno took Kamek's place for the chess game against Toadsworth. Despite his best efforts, Geno could not beat the old toad. After the game, the toad stood up and met up with the koopaling.

"Tally ho! I wanted to tell you some great news!" Toadsworth announced.

"Go ahead."

"Popple told me about the other toads in the city. I went with him the other day in the city and we saw those toads. They were surprised to see me here. It was a misunderstanding. Those toads never went to the castle so they did not know anything about Popple serving the princess. They decided to stay where they are and are doing their best to free the city from the dry creatures. They also have their own scavenger and both Popple and him work together to share the supplies adequately between the castle and their outpost."

"That's some great news but why do you insist on helping me? I would've checked on this problem right now."

"You remember that time when…"

 _It was late in the afternoon. Larry was transferring from his business to the Electrodrome. He always took the road with his bike. One day, he stumbled across a broken down chariot. Two dinosaurs were struggling to pull it because one of the chariot's wheels broke. Toadsworth was inside the chariot and had an important meeting to attend. At his age, he could not help the dinosaurs pull the chariot. Larry went to help the dinosaurs by attaching his bike on the side with the broken wheel to use it as a spare wheel. They manage to reach the Mushroom City in time._

"I don't see how I was a big help. I just made you waste less time travelling this day."

"You did more than that. Of course, from your point of view, you only helped me get there sooner but something you did not know is that I had to be there before a specific time or I would have missed a chance that rarely happens more than once in a lifetime and, with my old age, I can't afford to miss anything."

Larry simply nodded. He went back to the main hall with Geno following him. Isabelle was waiting down the stairs with some apples and papers. She was also answering a call and once done, she put down her phone.

"Larry, just in time, I have some news from Grassland: the shyguys finally liberated the city and the goombas are slowly moving back in." The dog stated.

"Excellent, tell them to stay vigilant as those dry creatures might come back." Larrry told her.

"Another thing, are you going somewhere?"

"I'm planning to travel to Sealand. Get me a treaty renewal contract but not any contract. Since Sealeand works with a council, there exist a special form of contract that allows many people to sign as an agreement to renew the treaty. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, go ask Peach about them."

He sat down on the stairs and picked up the apples to eat them. Isabelle stood up and went upstairs and vanished behind the doors that led even more upstairs. Junior was also near Larry and went to talk to him.

"Are you planning to leave again?" The prince asked.

"I have to, Junior. I had a dream where I met Wendy and I need to make sure she's fine." The punk answered.

"Where's Starly?"

"She went to do something important. Geno will come with me this time."

"Promise me that you'll bring Wendy back there, please."

"I can't promise you anything like that, Junior, I'm sorry. She might already be turned or she might still be alive. Morton was already turned before I could even get to work."

The child became sad but understood that he would have to get used to those sorts of things to happen in the next days to come. Larry did not want to tell it like that but he neither wanted to lie to his libra. Isabelle eventually came back with the papers the koopalings was taking about. With everything ready, Larry and Geno proceeded to go downstairs to take the pipe to Sandland.


	13. Chapter 3-2

**Chapter 3-2: Across the seventh sea**

Larry arrived at the end of the pipe and got off. He turned back at it.

"Careful when you reach the…" He tried to warn.

Geno launched from the pipe and flew high in the air. They were in the town hall so the puppet hit the ceiling and fell on the ground. He was not broken in pieces fortunately.

"…End."

The koopaling helped his companion to stand up. Around the same time, the Sandland king heard them and went to see them.

"Greetings, King Larry, what are you plans for today?" Wart started.

The Grassland king looked at Wart. He seemed much happier than the last time despite already being happy.

"I'm planning to go to Sealand to retrieve the purple wand." Larry said.

"By the way, some of my troops reported that you left some of your belongings back in the pyramid."

"Oh right, Morton teared my sidepack apart and I couldn't take back anything."

"Worry not, my friend. I have a brand new sidepack for you with all your belongings inside."

Wart snapped his fingers and a shyguy holding a sidepack came in the room where they were to give the koopaling a new sidepack.

"Thanks!"

"Speaking of Sealand, my troops were exactly planning to go there for an important mission. You see, my niece, Birdo, was there during the big day and I want to make sure she is fine. I have not received any form of news from her since the incident. We are also re-operating a train to get as close as possible to Sealand." He continued.

Sealand was in fact an island apart from the rest of Amarioca. It did however have some ground on the mainland. The Sandland king proposed Larry and his new friend, who presented himself, to take the train to a station near the ocean that separated Sealand from the mainland. The duo agreed and headed to the train station. Once arrived there, they saw a train with six wagons attached to it. The first wagon was a bin containing coal to make the train advance. The second and third wagons were for the passengers. Up to twelve people could embark on each wagon. The fourth wagon looked like a giant container. This one was to stock supplies in it. The two last wagons were completely flat and had nothing for the moment. A soldier guy spotted the duo and greeted them.

"I've just received a message form his highness that you will come with us to Sealand. Is that correct?" The soldier asked.

"Indeed, I have business there and I would like to take the train with you." Larry replied.

"Very well, we are almost done with our preparations. You can embark right away while we finish our preparations."

Both Larry and Geno got in the second wagon. Inside, there were three passenger cabins. They took the middle one. A few minutes later, the train started moving. Two soldier guys sat with the duo. Larry looked through the window to see the landscape move. It was his favorite way to travel from Grassland to the Koopa Kingdom and vice versa. He always had a love for trains: no presence of traffic like the roads, no boring landscape like the sky and a good sense of speed to give plenty of time to look at the world and arrive at destination in a reasonable time. Since Sealand is on the other side of the mainland, they had to pass by Grassland. The landscape changed from deserts to plains and hills. The Shyguy Falls separated those two lands and housed a crystal mine that used to be in operation until the incident. The train made a stop at Grassland City. The soldier guys left the train and went into the container wagon to take some supply crates and give them to the goomba population. Both the goomba captain and the goomba general were expecting this visit. Larry saw them and waved at them from the passenger wagon. The two goombas noticed him and smiled at him because they did not have anything they could use to wave back at him with them. The train departed again. The landscape of what Sealand had on the mainland looked very similar to Grassland's but had more lakes. The train made its final stop at a train station near the ocean. A few dry creatures were roaming around the station. The passengers got off the train and made quick job of the monsters with their combat skills. Larry and Geno turned back at the train and saw that the two last wagons had a total of four armored vehicles on them. Curious, the doll went to a soldier guy who was placing planks on those wagons to make a path between them.

"May I ask you how we will get across the ocean with those vehicles?" He asked.

"Those are Armored Personnel Carriers or APC for short. They have propellers on them which allow them to move in the water and, with the concept of buoyancy, they will stay afloat." The soldier explained.

"That is very interesting, thank you for answering my worries."

While Geno was discussing with a soldier guy, Larry spotted a wooden dock on the border of the sea and went to it. They were at the Dolphin Shoals but no dolphin could be found. Perhaps they noticed the horror of the incident and swam away in fear of being caught up into it. The punk sat down and stared at the island across the sea. A giant metallic ship was also stationed near the island.

"Is everything alright?" A familiar voice asked.

The koopaling looked behind him and saw Geno who sat next to him.

"May I ask you who this Wendy person is?" He continued.

"She's my only sister. During the big day, she went to Sealand to represent Bowser and…"

Larry paused for a moment and kept staring at the sea. He then closed his eyes and relieved one of his past memories.

 _On the same vacation trip where Bowser showed his children the world, he and his family stopped at this border of the ocean. The koopalings brought their swimsuit but only Wendy and Larry went for a swim. As Wendy ran on the dock, Larry followed her. His sister jumped from the dock and dove into the sea. The little brother stopped right at the end of the dock and looked at the water. Many dolphins swam around in the water. His sister re-emerged back to the surface._

" _Come on in, Larry-o. The water's great!" She shouted._

 _The youngest sibling took some steps backward and proceeded to build momentum to perform the best dive of his life… for now. He jumped of the dock and landed into the water. The water was at the perfect temperature. They swam for an hour with the dolphins until Wendy spotted a shed with many boats inside._

" _Look, Larry-o! I bet they also have kayaks. Wanna come with me?" Wendy proposed._

" _Sure!" Larry simply said._

 _They got back on the land and ran toward the shed. A giant cheep cheep was owned the shed and allowed people to rent any form of maritime transportations such as canoes, kayaks and rafts. Bowser went to see them and gave them some coins to both children to rent their own kayak._

" _Don't go too far, kids. We'll start a campfire soon." He told them while smiling before heading back to their other siblings._

 _Larry and Wendy gave the coins to the shed owner. The latter unjooked two kayaks and put them on the ground. Before Larry could attempt to drag his kayak toward the sea, he saw that his sister was struggling to drag hers by herself. Instinctively, he went to see her._

" _I'll help…" The young tried to propose to his sister before he was brutally interrupted by the latter._

" _I DO NOT NEED HELP THANK YOU!" She shouted as she kept pulling on her rented kayak._

 _Larry stood there and kept staring at her sister until she eventually managed to place her kayak in the water. He turned back at his but, instead of pulling it by himself, asked the cheep cheep. The shed owner gladly accepted and brought the kayak to the water._

" _Have fun!" The owner cheered as Larry got on his kayak._

 _The kayaks also came with a paddle. Larry rowed toward Wendy but was no longer in the mood, his sister having yelled at him. Most of the time, he stood on place while staring at his sister who rowed far away and came back. He closed his eyes and sighed._

"Being the only girl in our family, Wendy was afraid to be seen as weak if she let others help her." The punk concluded.

"I see. Where do you think Wendy is?"

"She might still be in the Sealand shrine."

A soldier guy went to them telling them that the transports were ready to cross the sea. Larry and Geno entered the same transport along with four soldier guys. They felt a little shock as the vehicle went into the water. A crate was placed between the passengers. It contained supplies that would be delivered to survivors in Sealand if there were any. They travelled for what seemed to be an hour until the vehicle slowed down until it stopped.

"We got company at two 'o'clock." The driver calmly said.

Judging by the tone, Larry presumed that the company must not be dangerous. The driver opened the hatch on the ceiling and left the vehicle. A few minutes later, the driver went back inside and explained the situation to the other passengers:

"Listen up, people. A blooper came by to tell us about what's happening with the ship near the island and I have to say that the situation seems to be very critical. The island is supposedly off limit and many survivors inhabit the ship. If we approach the island, the ship will fire a warning shot. If we get too close, the ship will shoot us down right away. I'm planning to get to radio distance to allow us to communicate with the ship to grant us permission to reach the island. Don't worry if you hear a nearby explosion in the water. That'll be the warning shot."

The driver went back to the seat and the vehicle started moving again. The passengers heard a nearby explosion but did not react to it.

"Alright, we're at radio distance." The driver declared.

He unhooked the radio on the command board and spoke into it. He adjusted the configurations on the radio to capture the ones used by the ship.

"First recon to Battleship, come in." He repeated a few times.

A few seconds passed and then…

"Battleship here; you've been warned. State your business or return to the mainland."

"We've been sent on behalf of King Wart to investigate about his niece's disappearance. Can you check if Birdo is on your ship?"

"Affirmative, we'll check among the survivors to see if Birdo is there."

A few minutes passed and…

"Battleship to First Recon, come in."

"First Recon here; is Birdo on your ship?"

"Birdo is indeed on our ship but we initiated a lockdown thus preventing her to leave; anything else?"

"We also have supplies that we can share with you. Would you allow us to embark on the ship and deliver them?"

"Negative, your king must be with you to confirm any sort of trades with Sealand. This is a new rule from the council."

The driver sighed out of frustration but made sure to release the button on the radio. The passengers were disappointed that they could not get to the island.

"It looks like we have to go back to Sandland." Geno quietly said.

"We can't do that. We need to get to the island now and I didn't come here just to be sent away." Larry declared as he stood up.

The koopaling went to the driver's seat.

"Allow me." He ordered.

Without hesitation, the driver lent his place to Larry. The latter picked up the radio.

"First recon to Battleship, come in."

"Battleship here, why did you change your caller?"

"This is Larry Koopa, new king of Grassland. Can you pass me the council please?"

"Negative, but I'll transmit the message to them."

A few minutes passed and…

"Battleship to First Recon, come in."

"First recon here, what did the council say?"

"They want you to prove that you are indeed the Grassland king. The members will be on the deck waiting after you to show them. They all have binoculars so no need to approach the ship."

"Roger that, I'll make my way on the vehicle."

Larry left the passenger seat and opened the hatch. Once outside, he saw all the water surrounding the small metallic platform he was standing on. The other vehicles were stationed on the left of the one he was standing on. Larry looked at the ship far away. He pulled out his binoculars and looked at the ship. The council members just arrived on the deck. A soldier guy emerged from the hatch.

"They got their eyes on you. You know what to do, King Larry." The soldier said before returning inside.

Larry put his binoculars away and snapped his finger to change his standard clothes into his royal vestments in a blast of light. He then summoned his two-stone wand and emitted light on the stone side and slowly waved it from left to right at the ship. A few second later, he heard cheers coming from the vehicle. The same soldier guy emerged from the hatch.

"They're letting us pass! They'll even allow us to board the ship!" He cheered.

The koopaling went back inside and closed the hatch. He sat back at his place.

"First Recon to Second, Third and Fourth Recon, engage in line formation and prepare for pickup." The driver ordered.

"Roger that." Voices from the radio spoke.

The vehicle moved again. An hour passed and the vehicle stopped.

"First recon to Battleship, we are ready for pickup."

More seconds passed and the passengers felt the vehicle being lifted up and put down. Everyone slowly left the transport and they found themselves on the ship. A crane was picking up a second vehicle as a group of well-dressed cheep cheeps arrived to greet the travellers. They were members of the Sealand council.

"Welcome aboard, make yourselves at home! We're so glad to see other survivors out there!" One of the cheep cheeps said.

Another one went to see the Grassland king.

"So, you are the new Grassland king? Is the Goomba King still around?" he asked.

"The former king is alive and well. He is now my new general and rules over the land in my absence." Larry answered.

"Those are great news to hear for once... Unlike what happened here." Another member of the council sighed.

"Go ahead."

"The island is currently inhabitable and not just because of the many dry creatures residing here. Our water got contaminated by a strange blue substance that turns anyone that breathes in or swallows some into those monsters and some of our pumps at the pump station have been sabotaged which prevents us to purify the water!"


	14. Chapter 3-3

**Chapter 3-3: Ghost town**

As the sun set, many cheep cheeps formed lines behind the large crates the soldier guys brought to receive supplies. Larry and Geno, on the other hand, met the council in a meeting room to know about the situation in Sealand better.

"During the big day, we were given a box as a present from the space federation. When we opened it, a strange blue substance came out of it. You know how the Sealand shrine has a minimum level of water to allow us to move with ease, right?" One of the council members explained.

The koopaling nodded. Every building in Sealand had a water level for easier movement for its population and to minimize damage from fire accidents.

"Well, once the blue substance fell in the water, it quickly took away its transparency and turned it into a dense blue liquid like we were swimming in milk. Anyone who breathed into it or swallowed some turned into dry creatures. When we left the shrine, the situation was much worse than we thought. The entire Sealand City was flooded with the blue liquid. We called the pump station to recirculate the water into the purifier but we got no response. We then evacuated into this ship and struggled to survive. We sent a scout into the city and he came back reporting us that the pumps got sabotaged." Another council member continued.

"It's kinda strange that it was a blue liquid that was released in your land. Anywhere else, it was a blue gas. Also, the space federation was in fact a bunch of space pirates disguised. According to Wart, those people worked for someone simply referred as MOM." Larry pointed out.

"It might be because the space pirates knew that we would use the water to take cover. They must have studied us for a long time."

"I can help you with your pump problem." Larry proposed.

"You already helped us a lot with the supplies."

"I know but I have a lot to do here. Firstly, allow me to present my friend here, Geno."

The puppet stood up and greeted the many council members.

"He and Starlow, who is currently not with us, were tasked by the stars and a superior authority to retrieve the seven wands and the two kingdom artifacts."

"If you're looking for the purple wand, we lost it in the Sealand Shrine and with the pumps sabotaged I fear that the shrine might be completely submerged."

The Sealand Shrine was found at the bottom of Lake Sushi, a lake that was between the many buildings that were part of Sealand City. It had its own pump system to regulate the water level inside. If there were other people beside sea creatures, the water level would be set low enough to allow everyone inside. They would probably have to fix the pump station to gain access to the Sealand Shrine. There were, however, places where water could not even get to provide free spaces for non-sea visitors. For a moment, it worried the koopaling in case that Wendy might still be down there.

"Secondly, I'm looking for my sister Wendy." Larry continued.

"Alas, we have not seen her since earlier before the incident. She left the room with Birdo to "redo her makeup" but when the incident started only Birdo came back horrified. We immediately left the shrine as it was starting to fill with dry creatures. If you want to know about Wendy's whereabouts, we suggest that you go speak to Birdo."

The meeting ended a few hours later. A council member escorted Larry and Geno to Birdo's room. As they walked through the metallic corridors, a powerful yet soothing voice chanted:

" **Innumerable stars;**

 **Won't tell us where to go;**

 **It's a long long run;**

 **To the Palace in the sun.**

 **With hopes and dreams;**

 **Our ship will cross the sea;**

 **To the whole new world;**

 **Shining like a Pearl;**

 **The whole new world!"**

They eventually reached Birdo's room which, coincidentally, was the same room where the voice came from. The duo thanked the council member who also told them that they could rest with her for the night since the moon started rising up. Larry and his friend entered the door and saw a strange looking dinosaur humanoid sat in front of a mirror adjusting its pink polka dot ribbon bow. The koopaling recognize the ribbon to be the one that his sister would usually wear but why did this person have it? The dinosaur had a funnel shaped mouth and a body structure similar to the dinosaur the koopaling met in the toy box (chapter 1-4). However, it was slightly shorter and had a row of three spikes on the tail instead of the head. The dinosaur was mostly pink with a white belly. The dinosaur looked at the duo revealing its purple eyes and its eyelashes.

"That's a nice singing voice and song you have there, Birdie." Larry complimented.

It was one of two names Birdo wanted to be referred as, the other being Cathy hence her full name being Catherine Birdo.

"Thank you, sweety, but I didn't come up with the song. I heard it somewhere and I loved it so much. I just wish this whole new world would be enjoyable rather than being unbearable." Birdo replied.

"Still, you delivered an amazing performance worthy of the song which I wish I could say the same for your look."

"I know, sweety, pink doesn't go well with more pink but I lost my ribbon in the Sealand Shrine while…" She started.

She hesitated for a while but…

"… While the incident started, is that what you wanted to say?" The koopaling continued for her.

"There's so much I want to tell you, sweety."

"Just tell me if Wendy's fine or not."

"I can't tell it like that. I want to tell you everything but I don't think I have the courage to relive it again."

This response disturbed Larry at a point he never thought he would be. To think that Birdo might have witnessed Wendy turning into a dry creature made him dizzily sick. He wondered why neither Wart nor the soldier guys described Morton turning when he was looking for him but he then thought that they could not see him through the dense blue gas that was released in the pyramid. Birdo indeed knew something about Wendy's whereabouts but her hesitation made Larry suspect that it might be too late. After all, it all became about seeing who is immune to the virus rather than who he could save. Besides, even if some of his siblings might be immune, they might still be in danger. Not turning would be the least of their worries as they would have to find their way out through the many people that turned into dry creatures. Eventually, Larry decided to leave her alone and go to sleep. Geno, of the other hand, comforted her by putting one of his wooden hands on her shoulder.

The next day, Larry did not attempt to convince Birdo to tell him about Wendy. He just said hi at her and went on the deck. The soldier guys were preparing to head to Sealand City to clean it from the dry creatures. They also receive an additional directive to repair the pumps as it will make it easier to defeat the monsters. In the water, a dry cheep cheep could swim as fast as and even faster than a regular one. The koopaling and his friend joined the guys into the armored vehicles. The crane put them into the water one by one and the APCs carried on toward the island. Unlike other cities, any mean of motorized transports where prohibited with the exception of slow boats since its inhabitants would often swim in the streets. Its streets were filled with water and had sidewalks that were much higher than the base streets level. The armored vehicles cruised through the streets filled with skeletal fish and dense blue liquid. Because the streets were not very deep, Larry could stand on the top of a vehicle without being attacked by too many dry creatures at the same time. He would occasionally deliver punches or kicks to those that jumped toward him. He then spotted a specific building and ordered the driver to stop by. Larry jumped off the transport and told the driver to keep driving to the pump station and headed toward the house with Geno following him.

"Why did you leave the vehicle, Larry?" The puppet asked.

The koopaling did not answer. He was looking through his keys and picked one of them. He however noticed at the last second that someone broke the lock allowing anyone to come in. He put his keys away and opened the door. He slowly walked inside the house. The house was filled with many sea-themed decorations and had pictures of houses interiors put all over the place. There was a counter with a picture frame. Larry took it and saw a picture of him with his siblings at the beach. This photo was taken a few weeks ago. Geno took a look at the picture and realized that they were in Wendy's house. This moment was however interrupted when…

"Who are you?"

They turned toward the voice and saw a strange dark-skinned humanoid, an otherworldly stranger. It seemed like a mix of a lizard and an insect and was holding an energy blade toward the duo. It was trembling in fear.

"There's no need to panic. We're not here to hurt you." Larry persuaded.

"Wait, he didn't send you?" He sighed out of relief.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was sent by him to release two bio-chemical weapons, a gas and a liquid, and destroy all the pumps here but, once I got here, I chose not to release the gas and I didn't destroy all the pumps like I was ordered to."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"I don't wanna die. I knew that the gas would kill me so I just released the liquid and didn't break all the pumps so I could guarantee my escape and survival. Please, you have to help me."

"Who sent you to do that?"

"His name is…"

"Knock knock!"

"Oh no, it's him! I gotta hide! Find some way to send him away and don't believe everything he says!"

The humanoid ran away and hid in a closet. Larry ordered Geno to stay put and went answering the door. When he opened it, he saw a purple pterodactyl humanoid standing in front of him with a big grin and his arms behind his back. This humanoid had a very pointy mouth and a forked tail like the Devil himself. He was also wearing a metallic suit that only covered his body.

"Hello!" The pterodactyl lengthily said.

He paused for a second. His smile vanished to make place for a confused face as he slightly tilted his head sideway.

"That's strange. I was expecting a female turtle to live here." He joked.

"I'm her friend. What do you want?" Larry asked

"Allow me to present myself. I am Riley, a famous bounty hunter going after the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy and it just so happen that one of them was last seen here." The humanoid proudly said.

Without asking the koopaling's permission, the bounty hunter entered the room while pushing Larry aside. What was with all the funny looking people that just landed on the Mario World? First, Kraig, and now, this Riley guy and another alien. Though, at first, Larry did not have much thought about them. Maybe Kraig was telling the truth and worked for the Space Federation. Maybe Riley was right too and was just a bounty hunter that heard about the incident. But the last alien had a lot to answer for MOM's crimes.

"Hey, I didn't say you could come in!" Larry said.

"Being a bounty hunter, I'm allowed to go where I please and I will use this privilege to hunt down those criminals." The hunter arrogantly replied.

He also had a strange weapon on his right side that he drew out. It looked very futuristic with all its lights on it.

"Let me present you my little friend: Mister BangBang. That's my trustworthy photon pistol though it tends to jam a lot so I often check it to make sure it won't jam at the worst possible moment." The bounty hunter proudly presented.

"How about you clean it more often? It'll stop jamming." The punk proposed.

"That's easy for you to say. We're talking about a photon pistol, duh, not a ballistic firearm. It's not like your world had the brains to make such thing." Riley mocked.

Riley seemed very energetic and overjoyed. Those two combined together made him a very suspicious and dangerous individual. Larry did not like what he saw and heard. The way Riley spoke made him grind his teeth in fear that he might unintentionally be a target. The pterodactyl was also pointing his gun everywhere like a toddler who just got his first toy.

"Well, it seems that my target isn't around. I guess I'll just… SHOOT THE CLOSET!" He maniacally shouted as he pointed his pistol toward the closet.

He pulled the trigger and a yellow energy bullet came out of the cannon and went through the closet door. If left a burnt hole in the closet. This startled Larry as he took cover behind a couch. He looked back at Riley who blew away the smoke emerging from his gun. The door brutally opened revealing a wounded lizard-insect hybrid that kneeled down to the other persons in the room.

"Well, you though you could escape me, evildoer!" Riley taunted.

"Please, don't kill me." The injured humanoid begged.

"Too bad, I got your bounty and it's time to pay Riley style!" He laughed as he pulled out a glass canister from his suit.

The canister contained the same blue liquid found in the streets. He opened the lid and shoved it in his bounty's mouth forcing him to drink the content. After the hybrid drank all the liquid, he started coughing and spontaneously combusted in blue flames. Larry was frightened by what he witnessed. The hybrid was screaming in agony as the flames were covering him. The flames then dissipated revealing a skeleton much like the other dry creatures. It was still alive but not the same kind of alive anymore. Riley pulled out what seemed to be a cellphone and took a selfie with the monster. Afterward, he summoned a sledgehammer and proceeded to crush the creature in pieces. It was clear that he was one of the people responsible of the incident. Why would he make it so obvious toward Larry? What was he planning right now?

"Ah, I love my job." Riley sighed out of relief.

He turned back toward Larry with his big grin.

"Well, my job is done. I have to go now, bye! Another thing, I found this metal stick with an amethyst on it. It's yours now. I'm getting paid millions for that bounty anyway." The humanoid quickly said.

The koopaling was still shocked to have witnessed someone turning into a dry creature but managed to catch the object when Riley tossed it at him. It was the purple wand. The humanoid left the house.

"By the way, Larry, you might want to leave the house. There's a huge gathering of skeletons out there waiting for you!" Riley's voice laughed.

How did the bounty hunter know Larry's name? They never met each other before. Nonetheless, the most important was getting out of here. Dry cheep cheeps started showing up in the doorframe as Geno stood up. The house was filling with those monsters and with the water inside the house they had the upper hand.

"Larry, I know how we can fight all those monsters." Geno declared.

"Are you crazy!? There are too many of them! Let's head upstairs where they can't follow us! Then, we'll think of a way to get rid of them." The koopaling replied.

The puppet did not listen. He summoned an energy disk.

"GENO WHIRL!" The puppet shouted as he hurled the disk through the horde cutting all the dry creatures in halves.

The punk was astonished to see what his friend was able to do. The water also started being drained until there was no more water on the streets and in the buildings.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Larry asked, impressed.

"I have many combat techniques and I used the most optimal for the situation." The puppet replied.

They sat down on some of the chairs in Wendy's house and had a conversation. With no more water in the streets, they would wait for the soldier guys to come back to pick them up.

"I have collected memories about what happened to your sister." Geno brought up.

"How did you get them?" The koopaling asked.

"I was testing out some of my functions primarily my memory reading function on Birdo and I collected a piece of memory about her and Wandy."

"Delete them."

"Are you not curious to hear about what happened to Wendy?"

"I am but delete the memories. I want Birdo herself to tell me about it."

"Very well, I deleted the memories."

"Next time, ask my permission whenever you want to do something like that."

"Affirmative, master, I will ask your permission for the future uses of my utility functions."

"Just call me Larry."

"Very well, Larry, may I ask you permission to test my scanner function on you?"

"Go ahead."

"Scanning… Name: Larry Koopa, Nickname: Cheatsy…"

Larry grinded his teeth when he heard his nickname. It was one of the many things he wanted to forget about himself. When he used to work as a spy for his father in his younger age, he was referred as Cheatsy for what he did back then.

"… Former name: Lawrence Christopher Athlean…"

"Wait, no one called me like that! Where did you get that name?"

"Former name changed to Larry at age 0. Larry changed to Larry Koopa and Larry Mulan at age 4."

"Do you think you can tell me something about my true parents?"

"Would you let me hold your hand? I need to make a physical contact with you to read your memory."

"Okay then."

Larry lent his hand to Geno who took it. He would finally get an answer about his origin.

"Reading…"

After a few seconds, the doll played some audio. At first, nothing seemed to interest the koopaling in the memory audio until he heard something about a plan to retake Amarioca. He also heard Kamek's voice in the audio implying that he might have been part of the plan. Though, Kamek sounded desperate, certainly because of the Dragon War. A soldier guy entered the house and interrupted them.

"We just fixed the pump station. We'll proceed to clean the city from those dry creatures. Wanna come?" The soldier guy asked.

The duo stood up and followed the soldier. They got on an armored vehicle and watched it as it ran over monsters breaking them in pieces. An hour later, the city became completely free of the dry cheep cheeps. The group returned at the border of the island where the battleship was afloat nearby and fired a flare in the air to signal their task completed. Another hour passed and the ship accosted on one of the many docks the city had. Everyone on the ship returned to their houses. Birdo went to see Larry and Geno.

"Sweety, I think I'm ready to tell you what happened to her." She told them.

"Don't push yourself too much." Larry replied.

"Okay… During the meeting, Wendy and I had to redo our makeup so we went to the bathroom. It was great that I was with a friend especially her considering how long the meeting was. In the bathroom, we redid our makeup and we even tried each other's ribbon. Suddenly, we heard screams and screeches and at the same time the water went from transparent to a very dense blue. We were about to leave the bathroom when Wendy fell in the water. She accidentally swallowed some water and coughed a little bit. Then…" Birdo started to explain.

"Remember, if it's too much for you, don't push yourself too much. Take some deep breathes but don't close your eyes as it might make things worse."

Her eyes widened and a tear started coming out of her eyes. She started trembling and put her hands on her arms as if she was cold.

"… She spontaneously combusted in blue flames. She was begging me to help her but I didn't know what to do. Her begging became cries of agony, those cries got muffled by the flames and she got completely engulfed in flames. They disappeared and I found myself in front of a monster that screeched at me. I was so horrified and I ran away while taking her ribbon mistaking it with mine."

She started crying. Larry comforted her as best as he could.

"Larry, our tasks are done. Should we return to the Mushroom Kingdom to plan our next move?" Geno asked.

"I'm done not yet. Stay here with Birdo and make sure she's fine. For someone like her, I'm impressed that she was able to tell all of it without breaking down in tears at any moment. Birdo, may I take that ribbon of yours please? I'll go in the Sealand Shrine and retrieve yours." Larry ordered.

The dinosaur nodded. She gave the ribbon to the koopaling who stared at it for a moment when it was in his hands.

"I remember when she almost lost it…"

 _The next summer after the vacation project, Bowser sent his children at a summer camp. This day, the children were riding down a river on kayaks. Wendy was just in front of Larry when they were presented to a forked path. The first path was much like what they went through: calm with a little bit of speed. The other path, however, seemed to have a lot more action with its rapids. They were to take the first path as the other one was too dangerous. The monitors did not have time to put a warning barrier across the other path to warn them. Wendy went into the second path._

" _Wendy, we're not supposed to go this way. It looks very dangerous." Larry told her while he followed her by instinct._

" _LARRY, I TOLD YOU I'M…" Wendy started._

 _Her kayak hit a rock flipping it upside down. The little brother was worried that she might be in trouble. He waited a few second but he feared that something might have happened to her. Without thinking, he jumped off his kayak and dove underwater. His fear was right: Wendy was out of her kayak with her eyes closed and her mouth open. She was unconscious. She also seemed to have been hit on the head as Larry saw a red mark on it. He swam toward her. The current was strong but was no match for him somehow. Wendy was being pulled to the bottom of the river. Larry grabbed her and swam upward. However, the ribbon his sister was wearing detached itself and followed the current. He could not get it back now. He had to put his sister somewhere safe. He re-emerged from the surface where two monitors were about to rescue them. One of the monitors took Wendy while the other tried to take Larry._

" _Let me go! I still have to find back her ribbon!" The koopaling said._

" _It's too dangerous! You have to get out of the river!" The monitor replied as he grabbed his arm._

 _Without hesitation, Larry bit the monitor's hand forcing the latter to let him go. He dove back underwater and spotted the ribbon far away. He swam toward it but he felt a strong current pulling him toward the bottom of the river. He had to use the many rocks at the bottom to pull himself out of the current and with one last effort managed to grab the ribbon. He swam up and left the water while coughing. The monitor who he bit violently grabbed him._

" _You are in big trouble, young boy." The monitor scolded while dragging Larry to the other monitor._

 _The other monitor just removed Wendy's shell._

" _What are you doing?" Larry asked, worried._

" _I'm about to perform CPR to bring her back. Want to give it a shot?"_

 _The koopaling nodded. He did not mind to get screamed after by his sister._

" _Alright, place your hands together like that and press on her chest thirty times. Don't press too hard as you might break her ribcage. After the presses, clog her nose with your hand and blow in her mouth. Use your nose to inhale air and your mouth to exhale into her. Rinse and repeat until the rescue team arrives."_

 _Larry followed the monitor's indications. A minute later, Wendy started coughing and opened her eyes. The two monitors congratulated Larry for having saved her._

" _LARRY, WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!? YOU'RE DISGUSTING!" Wendy shouted as she cleaned her mouth with her hand._

 _She noticed her ribbon near her little brother and took it faster than lightning. The group went back with the other children and had to cancel the kayak activity for the rest of the afternoon._

Larry snapped out of it and went to see the council. The council was please of his work in the city. The koopaling told them that he needed to go inside the Sealand Shrine. The council ordered a worker to activate the pump system before Larry was escorted to a platform in the middle of a lake.

"This is the entrance to the shrine. Good luck down there; we don't know how many of them there are." The council said.

The entrance was an elevator that went down to the shrine. Larry nodded and went inside the elevator. He pressed a button and the doors closed themselves. The elevator started moving downward.


	15. Chapter 3-4

**Chapter 3-4: Wendy O. Koopa**

While the elevator was going down, Larry took the time to revert back to his old outfit and took some snacks from his sidepack. As he approached the shrine, the light slowly lent its place to the darkness of the abysses. A faint light illuminated below him and a few seconds after he found himself in the main hall. The koopaling stepped out of the elevator and took a look around. The hall could have been filled with water but it would have been dangerous due to the dry creatures in Sealand moving faster in the water. Plus, there were not a single monster in here. He found this absence of threat strange and frightening. Riley could not have already cleared out the shrine if he went there to get the purple wand. He was clearly not the kind of person that would help others.

"Larry, can you hear me?" A voice left out.

Larry recognized the voice. It was Starlow.

"Starlow, where are you?" He asked while looking around in an attempt to find her.

"I'm not anywhere near you. I just got back from the stars and I'm currently at the Mushroom Castle. I'm communicating with you by telepathy. How's your mission going?"

"We just liberated Sealand City and retrieve the purple wand but I can't fuse it with the others. I just entered the Sealand Shrine to find Wendy. I told Geno to stay behind with Birdo."

"What happened with her?"

"She witnessed Wendy turning into a dry creature days ago and she told me all about it. She started crying so I asked Geno to stay with her."

"I must not have been pretty."

"Trust me. I witnessed something like that myself and it paralyzed me for a solid minute."

"Yikes! Speaking of wand, I think I know how you were able to fuse the orange wand with the red wand. You mentioned that you freed Morton, what exactly happened?"

"Remember when we took Isabelle back to her house?"

"I get it, the dry creature turned into a ghost of Morton, anything else?"

"Morton gave me an orb of light that went into me."

"That's it! Morton must have given his noctean powers to allow you to use the red wand. This means that we need Wendy's power to fuse the purple wand with the two other wands."

"What is Wendy exactly?"

"I'll lead you to where you can find the answer. There's a door in the main hall that's usually locked for public view. Go into the room behind it."

The koopaling pulled out his two-stone wand from his sidepack and, with the power of the red wand, emitted a powerful flame that brightened the main hall entirely. Its blue concrete walls reflected the watery patterns created by the few light that could reach the shrine. He then noticed the door Starlow was talking about and headed to it. Behind the door, a small room with an empty fountain that took all the space the room could afford was there. It looked more like a swallow bathtub than a fountain as a few hygiene products were placed around in the room. Many statues of drakoopas served as decorations for the room-sized fountain. In the middle, a bookstand holding a big grimoire was standing there. Larry read some of the statues' encryptions and saw the word beautean appearing on all of them.

"Beauteans were one of the eight royal drakoopa families. They ruled over Sealand until the Dragon War between the eight families started. They were known for having the strongest sea military of Amarioca." Starlow explained.

"Speaking of history, we didn't get to know about nocteans back in the Sandland Pyramid."

"Nocteans ruled over Sandland and had the strongest land military."

Larry examined the grimoire and saw that it contained a history about the beauteans. What interested him was that, at the end of the book, it mentioned that a beautean by the name of Gwendolyn Oliver Beautean would reclaim the land. This implied that the Dragon War might have been anticipated and that a plan to retake the lands was already in action or at least in preparation.

"That's strange. My records don't mention anyone by the last name in the book." Starlow continued.

"My sister's full name was Wendy O. Koopa. Wendy sounds a lot like Gwendolyn while the O could mean Oliver. The reason why your records don't bring it up might be because Wendy was never known by her true name. I learned about my true name but it was changed for an unknown reason."

"What do you mean?"

"I was formerly named Lawrence Christopher Athlean."

"Wait! Where did you learn that?"

"Geno scanned me to test his functions and he brought this up."

"Oh great, I'll have to have a word with him. Just keep looking for Wendy. Though we have all the time in the world, I'd rather that we finish our task there as soon as we can."

Larry left the fountain room and proceeded down the hallway. Even the hallway was devoid of any kind of monsters which worried him even more. Perhaps they could have gathered up in a single place where there was still water and where the pumps could not drain. Maybe they formed a giant bone mutant like the one in Sandland. He kept walking until he reached the throne room where he saw a familiar silhouette.

"Goodness, this blue stuff is even more dangerous in the water than in the air. No wonder its population didn't was reduced to such a small number of survivors." A familiar voice echoed through the room.

Larry approached the silhouette and recognized Kraig. Larry did not imagine the crocodile to be the kind of person that would be able to get rid of all the dry creatures in the place. He might be big and threatening looking but Kraig was far from wanting to fight and his reaction when Larry pinned him on the wall back at the Koopa Castle showed. The scientist heard the footsteps and turned back. He was holding his own source of light, a lantern, in one hand and a small flask containing a blue liquid in the other hand. Thinking that he would not meet anyone down there, he was surprised to see someone else was here especially Larry. The professor started trembling.

"We meet again, Kraig." Larry calmly said.

"Ah yes, I never thought you meant it when you said that we'd meet again back at the castle." Kraig stuttered.

"Since you've been a good boy back there, I'll tell you my name. I'm Larry."

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Larry. Please, don't be too harsh today. I wanna come back home with a high spirit, you know. I'll do my best to answer all your questions but there might be some things I can't tell you... Not yet."

It was interesting that Kraig just said those last words. He would be willing to confess everything but he must be waiting for the right moment to do so.

"Why are you so secretive about it? As you said, you didn't cause the incident." Larry asked.

"I…" Kraig started before he paused.

"Nevermind, I presume that you're always anxious and socially awkward whenever you meet someone new. I don't have much to ask you today so I'll make it quick. Do you know about a bounty hunter named Riley?"

"You met him!?"

"So you do know about him."

"He's…"

Before Kraig could say anything, a loud screech echoed through the rooms. It came from one of the bathrooms, the girls' one. Wendy must still be behind that door if her dry version was still standing. They both went to the door leading to the bathroom. Larry slowly opened the door, his heart racing, but was violently knocked away as what was behind it brutally broke open it. The impact sent him flying to far away in the throne room and hit the ground, rolling toward the other side of the room. He was stun for a bit. Once he got back to his spirits, he saw tentacles made of many dry creatures coming out of the bathroom. Kraig ran toward the koopaling and pulled out a small white box from his labcoat.

"Don't move. Let me check if you have any severe wounds." The scientist told him.

"Look out! It's coming right at us!" Larry warned him as he pointed the mutant.

Kraig looked behind him and saw one of the tentacles lunging toward him. He grabbed it with one of his big hands and took a small spray can that he sprayed an orange gas on the tentacle. The bones on it started falling off.

"How did you do that? What did you spray on him?" The koopaling asked, impressed.

"It's a little something I made to neutralize those monsters. I don't have it in large amount though so we'll have to find another way to destroy it." Kraig explained.

"Lemme handle it."

Larry quickly stood up and used his wand to wrap his fists into two gauntlets. They each had a stone, the orange and the red one. He charged toward the other tentacle and grabbed it. The scientist helped him to pull the bone mutant out of the bathroom.

"You'll have to destroy the core to kill the bone mutant! It should be in its body!" Kraig told him.

Larry nodded to him and ran toward the mutant's body. Six other tentacles lunged at him but he managed to dodge them all. He punched his way through the core, breaking many bones in the process, and was shocked to see what the core was.

"Wendy!?" The punk gasped.

Instead of breaking her, he grabbed her from the body and put all his strength and magic power to pull her out. Eventually, he succeeded and, as he left the mutant while carrying the dry creature that used to be his sister, the rest of the mutant fell apart. He put the monster on the floor and Kraig joined him.

"We'll have to put it down. It possesses…" The crocodile started.

"LAY AN HAND ON HER AND I'M GONNA TURN YOU INTO A FINE PAIR OF BOOTS!" Larry yelled back.

Kraig got terrified and stepped back.

"Let me do it my way." The koopaling continued calmly.

He turned back at his former sister and pulled the pink ribbon out of his sidepack. The crocodile was not sure what the koopaling was planning to do with the dry creature.

"You always looked weird without your ribbon, Wendy. I know you could have survived this… I'm sorry." He started crying as he made a bow with it and put it on the monster's head.

The scientist still had his doubts and uncertainties concerning Larry's plans until…

"… Larry-o?" The monster whispered.

A strong light that came out of the dry creature blinded the koopaling and the crocodile. Larry relived one of his treasured memories.

 _On the night of the celebration of the first year of peace, Princess Peach invited all the royal families to a party at her castle. Later that night, as the party calmed down and everyone was waited after the fireworks, Larry was leaning on the railings on the front balcony staring at the stars. He heard footsteps behind him but he did not turn around to look who it was. The footsteps closed in and another person leaned on the railings right next to him._

" _Why are you alone?" The person next to him asked._

 _He recognized Wendy's voice. He looked at her without turning his head._

" _I was meant to be the DJ of the party but there was a last minute change and I didn't plan to bring anyone at the party so I ended up alone. What about you? Where's your boyfriend?"_

" _We broke up earlier. Things didn't work as well as I thought it would."_

" _Ouch, is he alright?"_

" _He's the one who left me but I can't feel angry toward him somehow. It's like if it would've never worked in the first place."_

 _There was a long moment of silence until his sister broke it._

" _Larry-o, do you remember that one summer when…"_

" _Sis, I try not to think too much about it. I could've lost you."_

" _Larry-o, you made me realized that day that I couldn't do everything myself and that I shouldn't feel weak for asking others to help me. I was so powerless against the situation yet despite having directly told you not to help me you decided to. I owe you my life, Larry-o. I want to thank you for having changed me for the better."_

 _Larry did not say anything. He was just glad that his sister finally decided to accept whatever hep she was offered. They heard a faint explosion and looked at the sky. The fireworks just started. The little brother looked back at his sister._

" _Would you accord me this dance?" He proposed to her while lending his hand._

 _Wendy looked back at him and smiled. They left the railing and held each other by the hand: Larry with his left hand and Wendy with her right hand. Larry put his right hand on his sister's left side while his sister put her left hand on his right shoulder. They started slowly dancing while watching the fireworks. One year of peace was starting to change the world for the better. Larry closed his eyes._

"Oh, Larry-o, I knew you would come back for me."

The light faded away and Larry found himself dancing with a spectral form of her sister. Kraig was shocked at the sight. The koopaling removed his hands from his former sister. The latter did the same.

"Wendy, I'm sorry for what happened to you." He said with a tear in his eyes.

"Larry-o, you don't have to apologise, it was already too late for me. Speaking of being sorry, I have something to tell you that I've been keeping a long time ago."

"If it's about the orphanage, I got over it."

"Indeed but bad memories are harder to forget than good ones. The pain it causes from the inside can become unbearable."

Particles of light started coming out of her. They looked at them slowly leaving Wendy's spectral body. She looked back at her little brother.

"I'm sorry, Larry-o. I can't stay with you any longer." She apologised.

"I know, sis." Larry started crying.

"Before I go, I want to give you this." Wendy told him as he handed a light orb that went into Larry.

She slowly vanished while waving at his little brother. The latter waved back at her until she completely disappeared.

"Don't worry, Larry-o, I'll always be there with you, in your heart." Wendy's voice spoke.

Larry sat down on the pile of bones. Another of his siblings became a victim of the dry infection. He had five other siblings to check plus a father. Kraig sat next to him. They remained silent for a short time then…

"Do you still want to know about Riley?" The scientist asked.

Larry said nothing. He was curious about how Riley knew his name but, after freeing his sister, all he wanted was to head back to the Mushroom castle. He nodded anyway.

"Riley is… My boss. He's also MOM's second-in-command. He came down with me today to get rid of a deserter." Kraig explained.

"So you lied to me about working for the Space Federation. What do you do for him and MOM?"

"Yeah… I'm sorry for lying to you. I work as a scientist. The Space Federation thing was to conceal my true affiliation."

"Did you develop the blue gas?"

"I had no part in it. I was completely against the idea when Riley once proposed it. Normally, we space pirates only steal and sabotage things from other people. Murder isn't usually our thing but Riley somehow managed to convince MOM to develop a bio-chemical weapon and to test it on a planet. She had a strict condition to not test it on a world with civilisation but, somehow, Riley managed to have this slipped under the radar. Having known of Riley's true intention, I could however not tell the truth to MOM as Riley threatened me to turn me into a skeletal monster so I proposed a vaccine to the blue gas in case it backfires at us. My project got greenlit but Riley wasn't pleased with this so he put an embargo on my resources which was why I had to take a selective amount of test subjects."

"How did you manage to convince Bowser and the others to test it on him and the others?"

"I started my visits on the Mario World a few months ago while the bio-chemical weapon was being developed. I first went to Bowser to tell him about an incoming attack disguised as a "big day". I couldn't have done it otherwise or simply tell him to get prepared to fight back because Riley would have suspected something."

"…"

"Do you believe me?"

"I don't doubt you. Though, you're still hiding something from me I can feel that."

"Riley is… I'm sorry. I can't tell you that."

"Go take the rest of your day off, Kraig. I'm sure after seeing a ghost you just wanna rest."

"Yeah, I'll take it. We'll meet again, I'm sure of that."

The crocodile stood up and left the throne room. He seemed happier to meet Larry and being the one expecting to meet him again instead of vice versa made Larry realise one important thing: The space pirates used him to prevent anything to backfire on them. A purple light emitted from Larry's sidepack while his wand glowed. He pulled the glowing purple wand out of the sidepack and watched as the two wands fused together to form a new three-stone wand. The koopaling took it and went to the bathroom to retrieve a red ribbon that belonged to Birdo. He returned to the elevator. It rose. The elevator went pitch black but got slowly illuminated the closer Larry was getting to the surface.

"So this Kraig guy is affiliated with the people responsible of the incident and you let him go?" Starlow's voice questioned him.

"The only thing he's responsible of is having risked his own life to save many. I couldn't bring him to the Mushroom Castle because it might have given away our position and we can't afford to be hunted down. I met that Riley guy and he's a downright degenerate: No sympathy, no empathy, and no respect."

"I guess so. I saw that you recovered the purple wand and fused it with the others, good job. It's time to retrieve Geno and head back home."

Once Larry returned to the surface, he returned to Geno and Birdo who were having a conversation.

"So like that, you are not actually a female?" Geno asked Birdo.

"Not really, I'm a boy but I prefer being a girl." Birdo sighed.

"In that case, we can share a secret. I'm not actually a doll. I'm in fact a star sprite inside a doll."

They both chuckled. Geno spotted his friend and met up with him. Birdo followed him and got her ribbon back.

"Thank you, sweetie, I appreciate everything you did for me." She greeted.

"Don't mention it. I'm just doing my job." Larry replied.

"Also, Geno told me that he read my memory back there and apologised for being impolite."

"Well…"

"He also told me how you refused to hear it from him and wanted me to tell you about. I appreciate that you show respect to others and I want to give you that."

She did not exactly give anything to the koopaling. She instead kissed him on the cheek, making him blush.

"Birdie, I…"

"I also was able to join my uncle. He's here at the town hall waiting after the council to renew the peace treaty. He also told me that I should stay with you at the Mushroom castle."

"Oh right, I forgot about the treaty."

Larry ran toward the town hall. The streets were filled with water again and the residents returned to their houses. He offered the council the contract to allow them to agree on a peace treaty renewal. Then, a feast was organised to celebrate the liberation of Sealand. Many people were here, including Junior and Isabelle who were having a conversation. Larry was passing by and heard them.

"What kind of brother is Larry?" Isabelle asked.

"He's really cool and cheerful but he also tends to have his own share of problems like his gluttony."

"I don't see how gluttony is exactly a problem."

"You should have seen at my last birthday party when we left an entire table full of food unattended. He walked by and the minute after everything on the table was gone. You should have heard his belch as it echoed through the castle and cracked many windows."

"This must have been unpleasant to fix."

"Yeah but it was also the best birthday party I ever had in my entire life. Speaking of him, watch him as he eat half of the buffet by himself."

However, Larry overheard them and pulled out a prank by taking a single dish. He returned to his seat and ate normally

"No way, he's teasing me!" Junior screamed.

Isabelle laughed to see that the koopaling knew about what they were talking about. An hour passed and everyone went back to their respective home. Birdo followed the group back to the Mushroom castle by the pipeline service that got fixed as the koopaling was exploring the Sealand Shrine. Larry escorted Isabelle to her room and Birdo chose to stay with her. Before the punk could leave, Birdo spoke with Isabelle.

"I've never seen you before." Birdo started.

"I'm Isabelle. I live in the Leaf world but I had to move here because everyone got turned into skeletons. What about you?"

"My uncle wanted me to stay here. Though my homeland is fine, I witnessed one of my best friends turn into a dry creature."

"That must've been hard to bear."

"It was but when I told Larry about it I felt some sort of relief."

"I remember during my first days here I kept crying but when I told the princess about what happened to my town myself I stopped crying."

The conversation went on but Larry was tired. It was night after all and he wanted to go to sleep. When he entered his bedroom, Kamek was putting Junior to bed. Starlow and Geno were speaking to each other but it was not pleasant to hear.

"HOW MUCH DID YOU TELL HIM ABOUT HIMSELF!?" Starlow shouted.

"I only told him his true name and a possible plan by his family and other drakoopa families to retake Amarioca. I was only testing my scanner and he was the only person around when I wanted to test that function."

"GENO, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL INFORMATION LIKE THAT! THEY SHOULD LEARN THAT BY THEMSELVES NOT FROM US STARSTPRITES BUT WE CAN LEAD THEM TO WHERE THEY CAN FIND IT! NOW I HAVE TO PUT A RESTRAINING BOLT IN YOU AND IT WILL TAKE DAYS TO DO THAT!"

Starlow furiously sat down on the table next to Larry's bed without saying goodnight to anyone.

"Starlow, I…" Geno started.

"I know. You're sorry." She cut him.

The koopaling went to his bed and removed his clothes and shell.

"I guess that neither you nor Geno would assist me on my next journey anytime soon." Larry said.

The star sprite did not answer. She was still too frustrated after the doll shared confidential information with an unauthorized individual. Larry went to sleep. He thought of who he could bring with him on his next journey. Popple was already busy helping the castle's residents. Birdo just arrived and the punk did not want to pressure her. Junior was just a child. He should not have to fight for his life at his age. Isabelle was Larry's secretary. Everyone else was already busy. He wished for a miracle to happen.

 **END OF ACT 3**


	16. Chapter 4-1

**ACT 4: MECHANICAL MENACE**

 **Chapter 4-1: Color Splash**

 _ **Larry woke up in the middle of a scrapyard. He could tell it was one because metal pieces, abandoned apparels, car carcasses and old rusted war machines surrounded him. Only the full moon shining high in the starry sky brought light over the scrapyard. The koopaling stood up and walked to who knew where. He was unsure of where he should go. A few rats ran around, struggling to find food, and ran away from the punk when he passed near them. Eventually, his dream gave him a sign: sounds of metal pieces colliding in each other came from far away. Larry ran toward the sound to find a robot searching in a pile of rusted tools. It had a familiar appearance but Larry could not picture anyone despite that.**_

" _ **Hello?" Larry said.**_

 _ **The robot turned around and stared at him. The robot looked like a metallic koopa troopa that had bright blue oval eyes.**_

" _ **Larry… You dare show up like that after abandoning me?" The robot communicated.**_

" _ **I don't know what you're talking about. Do I know you?"**_

" _ **Off course you don't because I'm not him anymore. I am now 166-Y as in why did you abandon me!" The robot elevated his voice.**_

" _ **166-Y… You're Iggy!? I never abandoned you! I wasn't with you when the incident started!"**_

" _ **I was Iggy but now I have lost him. Don't feel sorry though, he was just a weakling unable to survive on his own. Now that I have this new body, let me show you some gratitude my way."**_

 _ **One of the robot's arms extended and grabbed Larry by the neck. There was nothing the latter could do to break free. The robot retracted his arm and turned his other arm into a buzzsaw.**_

" _ **I have been waiting for this day since you betrayed me!" The robot said as he neared the buzzsaw to Larry's face.**_

 _ **Larry stared at the circular saw that slowly moved toward his face. Before he got sawed…**_

"Master Larry, wake up! We have an emergency!"

The koopaling opened his eyes and saw Toadsworth next to his bed. The old toad seemed very worried at the moment.

"What's happening, old man? Are we under attack?" Larry asked.

"No, no, we've spotted two survivors at Toad Harbor on one of the freight and the dry creatures are trying to go after them. Popple is already nearby and waiting for further instructions." The toad explained.

"I'm on it!"

Larry quickly stood up from his bed and put all his clothes and his shell. He grabbed his sidepack and rushed into the kitchen and ate the entire fruit basket before leaving the castle. On his way toward Toad Harbor, he combed his hairs. He met up with Popple behind a tram near the harbor. The burglar showed him the situation: Two survivors that seemed to be mixes of a human and a blooper were stuck on a boat and they could not get on the harbor because a horde gathered here. Some dry creatures fell in the sea, trying to get to the freight. The koopaling thought of a way he could get the survivors to safety. He looked around and saw an intact car nearby.

"Alright, I think I have a plan to help them. You see that car over there?" Larry started as he pointed the car.

"Yeah, I see it. You want me to drive it into the horde?"

"I have a better idea. Break the window. If it's not enough to get their attention, open the door and honk at them. This should get the monsters' attention."

"What about you and the others?"

"I'll walk around the buildings and sneak behind them when you got their attention. Keep honking at them until they get close to you then run away."

"Got it, Boss!"

The plan was put to execution. Popple pulled a crowbar out of his back and broke the window. Luckily, the car was also equipped with a loud alarm that got triggered once he broke the window. The horde turned around and saw an easier target to pursue and ignored the boat. Larry ran around some buildings and went behind them and summoned his three-stone wand to conjure an ice bridge with the water between the dock and the boat. The purple wand gave him ice magic.

"Let's go, guys!" Larry ordered to the survivors.

There was a boy and a girl: the boy had blue tentacle hairs and was wearing a white t-shirt with black shorts but also seemed to wear a grey shirt underneath with longer sleeves. The girl had orange tentacle hairs, was large headphones with practically the same clothes as the boy but without the grey shirt. They were both carrying strange firearms that looked like water guns.

"No way, I'm not going with you if she's going with you!" The boy said.

"And I'm going with you if he's going with you!" The girl said.

A dispute started between the boy and the girl and Larry had to find a way to break it up. He did not want to make Popple wait. He had better things to do like helping people in the castle by bringing them food. The punk got an idea.

"Well, since you two seem to be so eager to argue between each other, I guess I'll just remove the bridge and leave both of you alone." He arrogantly said.

The two blooper kids reacted to his threat.

"Wait! Don't let us here with all the skeletons! We'll stop arguing!" The two kids begged.

"You better be. Come on, let's go." The koopaling replied.

They managed to escape the horde and went to the Mushroom Castle. Peach welcomed the guests.

"Good morning, I can see that you are from the Urchin World. What happened there?" She asked.

"Well, we were in the middle of a turf war…" The blooper girl started.

"… When those skeletons came out of nowhere…" The blooper boy continued.

"… Spreading their blue gas all over the battlefield and…"

"…Turning the other inklings into skeletons just like them."

"We managed to leave Inkopolis…"

"… By taking a boat and…"

"…Opening a portal."

"We headed toward it and…"

"… We ended up here but…"

"… We couldn't accost on the dock…"

"… Because lots of skeletons were there and…"

"… We couldn't go back…"

"… Because the portal closed itself."

"That's horrible! Listen, I'll allow you to stay here but you'll have to do your own share of work." Peach proposed.

They kept interrupting each other in the middle of their sentence. The inklings looked at Larry who was giving them a threatening gaze and looked back at the princess to nod. The koopaling went toward his room but stayed in the main hall to hear what the inklings and Peach had to say to each other.

"Do you often interrupt each other like that?" Peach asked.

"We try our best not to hate each other but it's really hard when we have different hair colors." The girl said.

"Yeah right, we all know that orange sucks." The boy taunted.

"Orange is a great color, you philistine!" The girl replied.

The inklings started arguing but it did not last long as the princess broke it up.

"Another thing, if you want to stay here, you'll have to put aside your differences. I do not want you to be arguing with each other. You, girl, I'll put you with Isabelle and Birdo in the middle left room while you, boy, will stay with Popple in the far right room." The princess explained.

The inklings nodded and went to their respective room. Larry then entered his room. Junior was lying on the ground drawing on pieces of paper while Kamek was reading a book and occasionally looking at the drawings. Junior then stood up and picked his drawing and showed it to his big brother. He drew the entire Koopa family including Kamek. He was quite good for a child of his age. His drawing talent was close to some of the most famous artists in history. Larry smiled at the drawing and his libra left the room, probably to show it to Peach. The koopaling went to the magikoopa who noticed him.

"Hey, Kamek, how's your memory?" Larry asked.

"Sorry, Larry, I can't seem to remember much. I know he still lives somewhere in Amarioca but I don't recall where." The magician replied.

You'll remember someday. Anyway, do you know something about a plan from the royal families to retake Amrioca? I heard that while…"

"Ahem!"

The punk turned his head and noticed that Starlow was also here, preparing Geno for something. She was still angry at her star friend.

"Listen, Starlow, I know you're angry that Geno told me this while he wasn't supposed to but, sooner or later, I would've learned about that." The koopaling apologized.

The star sprite only left a frustrated sigh. Larry eventually decided not to mention the plan again.

"Larry, Geno and I won't be able to go with you on your next journey. Where are you planning to go next?" Starlow told him

"I'm planning to go to Woodland. I had a dream where I met Iggy but it felt so different from the others I had."

"How was it different?"

"He was a machine instead of a dry creature. I think he could've given up on his body and inhabited a robot."

"How can it be possible?"

"Iggy was recently studying something named life transfer, a way to keep people alive without needing their body. I'm not sure how it works though."

"Let's hope this dream was just a dream and that your brother's still alive. Also, you'll have to give this to Queen Flutter or the new Woodland king. This is the permission to take the yellow wand." Starlow said while handing over a letter.

Larry took it and left the room. He had to find someone that would be willing to join his on his next journey but he already had something in mind. With the two new residents, his wish was granted. He went eavesdropping on the girls. Isabelle, Birdo and the inkling girl were speaking to each other.

"You have nice hairs. It must be easy to wash them." Isabelle complimented to the inkling girl.

"Thanks, it's not as easy as you think to take care of those hairs. You can accidently ink yourself if you rub them too hard so you have to use a stronger soap that'll burn your eyes more than normal soap if you get some in them." The inkling girl told her.

"Well, if you have hairs like mine which means all of your body is covered with them, make sure not to get some gum or sauce on them or you'll have to cut the hairs and then all the beauty is gone because your hairs are uneven unless you completely cut them."

"Ouch! What about you, pinky, do you have hairs?" The blooper girl asked to Birdo.

"I don't have hairs so that's one less thing to worry about but that's also one less way to be pretty so I have to wear something on my head like this ribbon."

They kept talking about beauty which bored Larry. He left them alone and went to check after the inkling boy in the far right room of the main hall. Surprisingly, Popple had also returned to the castle for lunchtime and was eating his lunch in the room. The two guests had a conversation.

"What are you exactly?" The boy curiously asked.

"I should be asking you the same question, see?"

"I'm an inkling from the Urchin World. We come in different colors so we fight against each other to see which color is better."

"That sounds stupid, see? Just because you're a different color from the others doesn't mean that you should fight them. Imagine if all the toads here had the same mindset than you, see? They'll be fighting non-stop."

"We're not actually fighting. We play a game that looks a lot like paintball but with different rules."

"Oh, I get it now! As for me, I'm a bean guy from Obeanie. We all come in different shapes."

"Do they also come with that big grin?"

They laughed for a good while until Larry entered the room.

"Excuse me. I'll need some people to come with me to Woodland." Larry said.

"Forget about me, boss. I'll have to go back in town for some more scavenging, see?" Popple told him.

"I'll come!" The boy agreed.

Both the koopaling and the inkling boy left the room and headed back to the girls' room. The boy already knew what Larry was planning as soon as they approached the door.

"Wait! You're not going to bring her too, right?" The boy asked.

"You seem like an interesting pairing so I figured that you two should do the job. Also, like the princess said, you'll have to put aside your differences to stay here and I'll help you by teaching you and her some discipline." The punk answered.

"I don't need discipline!"

"Your screaming proves otherwise."

The boy sighed in frustration. They knocked on the door. Isabelle went answering and handed Larry a treaty renewal contract.

"I heard that you'll go to Woodland. I did some research on the land and I found the right papers for you." She said.

"Thanks, Isabelle. Can you tell the inkling girl to come out please?"

The dog nodded. She closed the door and, a few seconds later, the inkling girl came out.

"Are you really planning to bring him with you?" She asked.

"You're both coming with me, no question." Larry abruptly ordered.

His powerful voice made the two inkling stand straight. Larry knew how to boss around. I was not for no reason he became the leader of the Koopa Troop Special Forces that were composed of him and the other koopalings. He knew the different types of people and how to deal with them. The inklings acted like Wendy and Ludwig: very eager to argue and question for their own benefit.

"What are your names?" Larry asked.

"I'm Agent 3." The boy said.

"I'm Agent 4." The girl said.

Larry found it interesting that they do not have regular names and were referred as agents, probably to conceal their true identity.

"What kind of agents are you?" The punk asked.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked back.

"Are you enforcers or spies?"

"What's the difference?" The girl asked at her turn.

"Enforcers are front-line agents. They are trained to use a specific type of weapons and are trained in large quantities. Spies are trained on the "infiltrate and evade" moto. There are fewer spies because we can't afford to send too many on one mission due to the intensive training. Plus, it's more expensive to train them and we only need a few of them for secret missions."

"I guess we're enforcers then."

"Alright, what are those weapons you're carrying?"

"Those are our splat guns…"

"… They use paint as ammunition…"

"… But they don't work against those skeletons."

"Another thing: When someone starts speaking, you let him finish his sentence unless he can't. Do not interrupt each other without a reason."

"Pip pip!"

Toadsworth overheard them speaking about their weapons.

"I might know someone that can fix you that. His name is Elvin Gadd. He was last seen in Woodland during the big day. I hope he is still around. He's a famous scientist that developed and researched many things like the FLUDD and the Poltergust 3000." The old toad proposed.

"I also have someone in my mind but I hope we can find EGadd too." The koopaling said.

Toadsworth nodded and left them alone. Larry looked back at the two agents.

"Are you both ready to head out?" The punk asked.

They both nodded. Larry returned in his room to get his sidepack. Only Starlow and Geno were in the room still busy with some preparations. The koopaling left the room without saying a word and the inklings followed him downstairs where they took the pipe to Grassland.


	17. Chapter 4-2

**Chapter 4-2: Through the woods**

The trio arrived at Grassland in a matter of seconds. Surprisingly, the two inklings did not fail their first travel via pipe like Larry did the first time he took it. There, they were welcomed by the goomba king and the goomba general.

"Welcome back, your highness. I am sure you have heard of the great news recently." The general told Larry.

"Indeed, Grassland is freed and I have a new assistant." The latter replied.

"That is correct. Where do you plan to go next?" The captain asked.

"I'm planning to head to Woodland for important business. These two behind me fill come with me for this journey. Agents, kneel down to salute them."

The inklings looked at each other. They were not expecting Larry to be a king. Though, they kneeled down.

"I see. In that case, I will prepare you transportation with all the supplies you will need. Go to the fortress' garage in an hour. By that time, everything should be ready." The general said.

The two goombas left them to commence the preparations. In the meantime, Larry brought his new allies to the armory where he geared them up with blunt weapons. There were all sorts of weapons like spears, clubs and swords but only blunt weapons would be effective against dry creatures.

"What are these? Where's the trigger or the cannon?" The boy asked.

"These are nightsticks. You can use them to smash dry creatures in case you see any." Larry answered.

"But we're not trained for that." The girl added.

"Don't worry agents. You don't need much training to fight with a nightstick. Just make sure not to drop it or get disarmed." The koopaling said.

Larry taught the inklings how to use their nightsticks. During the training, he also took the time to make them more disciplined. They would need it since they tended to argue with each other. An hour later, the trio headed to the garage and saw a jeep ready to go. It had three sleeping bags, a tent, some food and water bottles to last at least a week.

"I take the front seat!" Agent 3 said.

"No, I take the front seat!" Agent 4 said.

"Neither of you get the front seat. My sidepack will sit there." Larry abruptly cut through the inklings' dispute.

They both sighed and sat in the back. They were too afraid to ignore the punk or question him. The punk took the driver seat, put his sidepack on the passenger seat and started the engine. The fuel was at its fullest. On the Mario World, there was not a minimum age to get a driver licence. The age limit was to determine what kind of vehicle a person could drive. They left the fortress then the city. They drove for a few hours while the sun was setting. They eventually reached the border between Grassland and Woodland. A gate was placed at the border but only a goomba stood guard. Normally, there would be one person from each land the gate separated. A wiggler would also be there. There was a fine difference between the two lands. Woodlands had big tall trees all over the region making it impossible to see further than a few meters. They also had to drive slower because it would be too risky to drive at the speed they used to in Grassland. They stopped at a small cabin on the side of the road where they parked the jeep behind it.

"Why are we stopping here?" The boy asked.

"I doubt Elvin Gadd is here." The girl said.

"It's too dangerous to continue at night. Dry creatures are more aggressive at night. We'll stay here for the night." Larry told them.

They all got out of the vehicle and brought the sleeping bags and some food inside. The cabin was in fact one of the many outposts scattered around in Woodland. The land was known for its maze-like layout which forced the rangers in here to perform multiple rescue missions in the previous years. The outpost was equipped with many things in case someone would dare to venture deep into the woods. By example, a closet filled with flare guns and flare was available to the public in case they got lost in the woods. Like the outposts in Sandland, many beds were installed to allow travellers to rest. A fireplace was also inside the outpost. Larry got the idea to light up the fireplace by putting some wood in it and breathe some fire on them. The fire brightened the room filled with armchairs and couches. Next to this living room, there was a kitchen. Thankfully, no one turned it upside-down yet and with that Larry took a few ingredients from the shelves, boiled some water and made hot cocoa for everyone. They all sat down in the living room.

"So, who is this Elvin guy we're looking for?" Agent 3 asked.

"He used to work as a royal scientist for the Mushroom Kingdom but moved here in Woodland is it's more advanced technologically. He's a close friend to Toadsworth, the toad who told us about him, and Peach's father." Larry answered.

"You also mentioned another person that could help us with our splat guns. What's his name?" Agent 4 asked.

"I'll tell you about him tomorrow morning. I have a lot to say about him but I also have a scary story in mind and I don't wanna forget it. It's called the Hills Devil."

"I'm listening!" The inklings said.

"Good, hundreds of years ago, there was a family living on the hills of Grassland. The father was a koopa soldier that often got in trouble due to is unhealthy habits."

"That's not scary." The boy said.

"I like setting up the story in the period it happened."

"Wait, It actually happened!?" The boy continued.

"It's based on a true story. So, the soldier married a female koopa and got twelve children. They had huge financial debts because the husband would always gamble his coins in an attempt to get rich faster while twelve children drained the wallet very fast. When the wife bred her thirteenth egg, she cursed it!"

"How can you curse an egg?" The girl asked while trembling.

"She took the egg and approached it to her face and whispered: "Let this one be a devil.". During months, she forgot that she cursed the egg and his husband was setting himself in the right track. When came the time for the egg to hatch, it gave birth to a normal looking baby koopa. But then…"

"But then?" The inklings asked.

They took the couch's pillow and hid themselves behind them. They peeked out to look at Larry while still being cautious of his next words.

"But then, the koopa's skin and shell turned black, parts of his shell broke revealing skeletal wings that grew in size, blood came out of its eyes and only left completely black eye globes darker than its skin as well as two red dots, claws grew from its hands while horns grew on its head and its feet turned into hooves!"

While he was describing the beast, the two inklings closed their eyes but it made things worse. They started screaming and held each other in their arms.

"The monster started screeching. Its screeches were so loud and powerful that chain chomps would run away in fear while any humanoid would be paralyzed by them. The beast murdered many people that night and flew away. To this day, the beast was known as the Hills Devil and multiple sightings were reported over the centuries, we all have evidences that the beast still lives even after being shot so many times. We all thought that it would stay on the hills but it venture beyond and was even seen in the Mushroom City hence why it is now known as the Grassland Devil."

Larry was so focused telling his story that he did not notice that the inklings were now hiding behind a couch on the other side of the room.

"Don't worry guys. No one could actually get to take a picture of it so they just depicted it the best they could. Besides, it's only dangerous when you're trying to hunt it down. Though, I'll have to warn you that some versions of the story say that his father was a dark creature ruling over the Underwhere while the mother was a powerful magikoopa."

The inklings were already gone. Larry stood up and walked toward the dorms where two of the many beds, in the corner on the complete opposite side from where he came from, were already occupied by their trembling blankets. He took the first bed he saw and removed his shell to sleep well.

The next morning, they all woke up almost around the same time. They went to the kitchen to make themselves some breakfast. The inklings were still trembling from the story Larry told them last night. The koopaling never slept any better since the incident started. He gobbled through his meal and walk outside where he sat down on some of the wooden stairs. He stared at the many trees in front of him thinking about what could lie beyond them. A few minutes later, Agent 4 and Agent 3 sat down next to him.

"You seem to know a lot about agents and stuff for a normal kid." The girl told him.

"I'm not normal. I used to work as a spy for the Koopa Kingdom when I was five. I stopped four years later when things became quiet in Amarioca." Larry replied.

"I don't see you as the kind of person that would work alone. You sure know how to boss people around." The boy said.

"I used to boss my siblings around back at the Koopa Castle. Though, we were not doing anything serious. It was just for chores to help servants at the castle. Ironically enough, I'm the youngest if you don't include Junior. I never bossed him around."

"Also, are you really a king or is it for show?"

"I'm indeed a king but I do not really rule over Grassland. I let the former king rule in my absence because I have a lot to do around Amarioca."

"I never though a king would do everything by himself."

"The land got crippled by some blue gas virus and I don't want to risk anyone's life by bringing unvaccinated people with me."

"There's a vaccine for the virus?"

"Did you get vaccinated recently?"

"Now that you mention it, there was that big crocodile guy that passed by and offered some vaccine against a disease he didn't want to tell us. He took a few people. I and Agent 3 were among those people."

"Kraig…" Larry whispered.

"Who are you talking about?"

"The guy that vaccinated you is named Kraig. He didn't directly vaccinate me. It was my dad instead."

"Speaking of people, you said that there's someone other than EGadd that can help us fix our splat guns. Who is he?"

"Ah yes, his name's Iggy and…"

Larry paused for a minute and stared back at the trees. He remembered a time when his brother was sad.

 _On a special vacation trip, Bowser made a stop with his children at the same outpost. Larry was wearing a blue coat and playing around with a stick. He was pretending that the stick was a sword and he fought imaginary monsters. While he was playing around, he spotted one of his older brothers, Iggy, sat down at a tree near the outpost. At the time, he had the same hairstyle and the same hair colors as Lemmy. The youngest sibling ran toward him with his cheerful personality._

" _Hi Iggy! Wanna play games?" Larry happily asked._

 _It was only until now that he noticed his brother was sad. Iggy had his head lowered and was staring at the ground with his hands in his green coat's pockets. He simply ignored Larry._

" _What's wrong with you, Iggy? You've been like that for days even before we went on vacation." Larry worryingly asked._

 _Iggy only sighed. Never has Larry though that someone could be sad for no reason but that was because he had not noticed his brother being sad in the first days it started happening. No one was sure how to make him happy. He did smile once when Bowser showed him one of his hobbies: building toys for his children. Afterwards, nothing else would work._

" _Iggy, you've been worrying me ever since we left the castle. If there's something wrong, please tell me. I'm sure I can help you but you have to tell me. Did Roy bully you again and called you a nerd?" The punk proposed to his brother._

" _Larry… Have you ever woken up one day being sad despite being overjoyed the day before as you went to sleep?" Iggy finally said._

" _Not really, it never happened to me." Larry answered, unsure of what his brother meant._

" _Of course you don't understand. You've always been so clueless about those kinds of things. I don't how it happened but it happened. I've been searching in all the relevant books back at the castle's library to find out why it happened but I couldn't find anything."_

" _Iggy, I don't think that you'll find that kind of thing in a book."_

 _His brother suddenly stood up._

" _THERE HAS TO BE AN EXPLANATION! I'M SURE MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD THAT HAPPENED TO THEM AND THAT THEY FOUND A WAY TO SMILE AGAIN!" He shouted back at Larry._

 _There was a moment of silence but Iggy ended up crying and took his little brother in his arms._

" _Larry, I don't know what's happening to me! I can't find a logical explanation to this behavior and it kills me from the inside! I can't stand myself right now and I don't know what to do!" He sobbed._

" _Don't lose hope, Iggy. I'll find a way to make you smile again. I'll find a way to make you laugh again. Trust me. I know plenty of ways to get rid of that sadness of yours."_

 _The big brother put down his little brother. He was smiling with tears filling the bottom of his eyes._

" _You will help me? Thank you, Larry." He said._

" _Now, how about we play games?" Larry proposed again._

 _They took some sticks and started fighting each other._

"Even after this day, Iggy was still sad. I had to make him cherish those few happy moments until I eventually found a solution. It took a while." Larry told to the agents.

A strange noise came from the outpost. The trio stood up and armed themselves. They went to the source which was in the living room and they saw the fireplace opening. A small human came out of it. He had a round head with a few white hairs shaped like a drop. Its big round glasses had dizzy patterns on them and he was wearing a labcoat.

"Professor Elvin Gadd, what are you doing here?" Larry asked, surprised.

"Please, no need to get heated up for a fight. I've been watching you from down there since you arrived." Elvin said.

"Why didn't you just show up?"

"I had to make sure no one followed you."

"Who would follow us?"

"Come with me. There's a lot I need to explain."

The trio followed Gadd into the fireplace. They found themselves in a laboratory with many inventions and computers around. The walls were made of an unusual metal. The scientist sat down on a chair and pressed a button on his computer to bring more chairs in the room. They all sat down.

"You might already know about the blue gas that has been spreading Amarioca so I'll save you some times. During the big day, Queen Flutter received a gift from the space Federation." Elvin started.

"And the gift was opened then the gas spread out." Larry said.

"No, before the queen could open it, King Boo rushed in telling that the gift was a trap. He was right but he also accused the queen of irresponsibly putting the life of her people in danger. She was forced to not only give him the throne but to be exiled out of her region which she did not do."

"What happened to her?" Agent 3 asked.

"She's here with me. I was able to hide her but I fear that the boos might find her sooner or later."

The scientist pointed Larry to a room where a wiggler with wings was lying sideway facing away from them crying.

"I don't think anyone could be aware that the big day was a trap. I suspect that King Boo might have been in contact with the culprit." Larry said.

"It might be true. He was always obsessed to take over Woodland for its technology. It was the safest thing to go first before he would plan to take over the Koopa Kingdom again. He must have found a way to communicate with the culprit." Gadd continued.

"Speaking of the incident, I'm looking for my brother Iggy. Have you seen him by any means?"

"Oh yes, I was working with him on a project for future space expeditions. You see, I could not be there for the meeting because I received a special request from Princess Peach to work on an invention for space exploration. Coincidentally, Iggy could neither be at the meeting and received the same order from Bowser. We worked together on something special but I got drowsy and Iggy told me to take the day off."

"Do you think he might still be alive? Also, how did you know what happened if you weren't here to witness it?"

"I do not doubt that Iggy survived. The workshop we were working in is also built as a shelter with a huge depot that could ensure anyone's survivals for years. As for the latter, Queen Flutter told me everything about it."

The koopaling stood up while the inklings still have many questions to ask him. He went to the queen. The latter turned around and looked at him. She looked like any other wiggler with the exception of having butterfly wings.

"What do you want?" She said with tears in her face.

"I'm here to help you regain the Woodland throne." Larry answered.

"It'll be hard but there's a way. Since the boos don't know much about you, you and your friends can get into Woodland City without any suspicions toward you. If you can get to the power plant, it has a vacuum function that is in fact a defense mechanism against them. Once you activate it, they will all be sucked into the generator thus freeing my people. As for the Woodland Oak, alas, there is no vacuum function so you will have to improvise to get rid of King Boo and what remains of them. Don't worry about them. Every building is made of a metal they cannot go through." Flutter explained.

She paused for a moment and stared at his rings. She was surprised to see them.

"Those rings, you are the Grassland king? Is the former king alright?"

"Don't worry, he's ruling over the region in my absence. I have a lot to do around the world before going back there."

"I entrust that you can free my people, good luck."

The short conversation between them reassured Flutter. She was smiling at the punk. Larry left her alone and went back to the others. They were having a conversation.

"Do you think you can modify our weapons to harm any skeletons we meet?" The inkling boy asked.

"Ah yes, though I'll need a sample of the blue gas to know what causes people to turn into dry creature as well as a sample of what you use as ammunition. Those are impressive technologies you have there."

"We primarily use them for turf war but the skeletons took over our world and infected everyone. We can give you some ink right now." The inkling girl replied as she twisted one of her tentacles.

Elvin took a jar nearby and filled it with the ink dripping from the girl's hairs.

"I see. I thank you for your collaboration. Once I get a sample of the gas, it should not take too long to make your firearms effective against the dry creatures." The professor told them.

The punk joined them and explained that they had to go to the city. This time, Elvin Gadd would be joining them. The group left the outpost and climbed into the car. They drove away from the outpost and toward Woodland City.


	18. Chapter 4-3

**Chapter 4-3: Under Martial Laws**

The group drove for an hour until they reached a specific tree. The tree was bigger than the others but could not fit a city on its own. It had an opening on ground level.

"Is that Woodland City?" Agent 3 asked.

"It doesn't look that big." Agent 4 pointed out.

"Look above." Larry told them.

The inklings looked high up in the sky and saw a giant platform attached to many trees. Woodland City was installed on this giant city and, thanks to its technological advancements, possessed a structure so strong even some of the most violent storms could not knock it down. They stopped at the tree where a boo was standing guard. The boo met the group.

"Welcome to Boo City, travellers, do you have a place to stay?" The boo maliciously asked.

"Can't we just get to a hotel and book for a room?" The inkling boy confusedly asked.

"What kind of person asks something like that?" The girl asked at her turn.

"Oh, you don't know that the rules here were changed? In that case, it'll be my pleasure to tell you the new important rules. All hotels and motels are full and being homeless is illegal and worthy of prison for life so you better know someone here that will house you during your stay." The boo explained with a big grin.

"I have someplace to stay." Larry bluffed.

"Do you? I'll need his phone number so I can contact him. If it happens to be a bluff, you'll be in big trouble, mister… Just kidding. I'll just send you away." The guard laughed.

The koopaling gave the guard a phone number which was Iggy's. He was not sure if it would work but he prayed that he could get into Woodland city to start his missions. He was also hoping that his big brother was fine and there too. The boo picked up a phone and dialed in the number he was given. He waited for a while but no one answered. His grin grew bigger. He put the phone away and looked back at the punk.

"Too bad, he didn't answer which means that you can't…" The guard started.

His phone started ringing before the boo could send the group away. He answered it.

"Hello? Who's this? Iggy Popinski? Well, there's a… hold on. What's your name, sir?" The boo asked to the punk.

"Larry Mulan."

"There's a certain Larry Mulan that wants to stay at your house, is that okay with you? Yes? Alright, I'll pass him the message. He should arrive at your house soon. Okay, bye!"

Larry was surprised to hear that Iggy survived the incident. He had to meet him as soon as he could. The boo put away the phone again. He was not pleased.

"Guess it's your lucky day, punk. Right this way, sir, sorry to keep you waiting." The guard sarcastically said.

They drove into the tree that had an elevator that could carry vehicles into the city. They went up and eventually reached the streets' level. The situation in the city was much worse than though. Tanks ridden by boos patrolled the streets to be ready in case they would have to supress a wiggler rebellion, boo soldiers marched in groups and barely any wigglers walked down the streets. Since vehicles were forbidden into town, the group parked the jeep near the elevator and continued into the streets on foot. They witnessed boos vandalizing many things and the guards doing nothing to stop them. After all, even the authorities only had boos. Because of the incident, the wigglers were reduced to a form of minority while the boos moved in and acquired all the privileges. The city was also under martial laws which explained why so many military forces were present on the streets. Those martial laws only affected the wigglers. The group walked down the streets until they reached a specific house. Larry went knocking on the door but there was no answer. Maybe Iggy was working on something in his secret laboratory and he could not hear anyone. In that case, only a friend or a family member could enter the house without knocking. The koopaling pulled out his keyring and unlocked the front door. He entered the house and was welcomed by an overjoyed black ball with pointy teeth and round eyes that barked at him.

"Chompy, my boy, it's great to see you again! Where's your master?" Larry greeted.

Chompy made a sad expression. If Iggy was not here to answer the phone, how could he do it?

"Larry, can you hear me?" A familiar voice spoke.

"Starlow, what's the meaning of this? Where's Iggy?" Larry asked.

"I'm sorry for having given you false hopes, Larry. I ordered Geno to possess the phone for a brief moment and impersonate him to get you out of trouble."

"For once, I'll thank you. Next time you wanna do something like that, warn me earlier."

"Sorry, I just finished installing Geno's restraining bolt. I just saw that you might not be able to get into Woodland City so I had to intervene."

"How much power do you have when you're not here by my side?"

"Not much, I'm limited to telepathy and I can only see and hear your surroundings. Geno can only possess very small items."

The group explored the house. It was a typical house with a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom. The only place of interest was the living room where it had a bookshelf full of book of different kinds of science. Larry took out some of the books and put them back in the bookshelf at specific places. The bookshelf moved back and down revealing a secret passage. The group headed down and found themselves in a workshop. Many inventions were scattered around in the room and a table full gadgets was placed at the end of the room. The inklings were impressed by the room.

"You can do whatever you want for now, guys, but don't get yourself in trouble. I have something to do and I'll be back in a few hours." Larry said.

"In that case, I think I'll take a look around town." Agent 3 said.

"I'll come with you. I'm getting a little hungry." Agent 4 said.

The two agents left the workshop.

"What do you plan to do, Larry?" The professor asked.

"I have to find a way to re-activate the generator to get rid of all the boos in town. After that, we'll meet back here to plan our move against King Boo."

Elvin nodded and left the workshop to join the agents. Larry approached the desk. A note was left next to the gadgets and He picked it up to read it.

"Hey Larry,

I know you don't really like to do these kinds of things but if you ever work as a spy again I hooked you up some gizmos for your next missions.

First, you have your trustworthy titanium lockpick that I personally named the "Skelerex Key" because you can re-use it as many times as you wants. No lock would be match against it.

Secondly, I made you a multitool that would allow you to not only bypass any form of electronic security but also transfer data on it. You'll no longer need to look around for codes, accounts and passwords with that.

Finally, if you get into trouble, the wrist-mounted minicrossbow can carry tranquilizer darts to put them to sleep. I even made some darts that can hit those pesky boos.

Iggy."

The koopalings looked at the gadgets on the table. He picked the lockpick and the multitool and put them in his sidepack as well as the darts. As for the minicrossbow however, he instead summoned his wand to shape it exactly like the former on the table. Once he got the picture, he turned the wand back into his silver ring.

"I can't believe I'm going back into my bad habits." He whispered.

"Why are you so afraid of them?" A voice deviously spoke to him.

It surprised him that someone else was with him. The inklings and Elvin left the house a while ago while Chompy could not speak because he is a chain chomp. He did not recognize the voice either. He looked behind him and saw a shadowy silhouette at the stairs leading back to the living room. He could not recognize anyone from it though. How did it get inside? Or was it already inside and waited for everyone else to leave? Why would it be interested in Larry only?

"Who are you?" Larry asked.

"You know me better than anyone else. In fact, you know me too well. But what really matters is that you still insist in saving your "family" after you saw two of them dead. After the first one, I'd have given up on this stupid mission and claimed the Koopa Kingdom. Alas, I'm not you and I'm not around anymore because you decided to replace me with that little pest you call your libra. I have to go for now but I'm sure we'll meet very soon, Larry…" The shadow rambled.

The silhouette disappeared. Larry was unsure of what happened but he could not waste any time to think about it. He had to free the wigglers from the boos. So, he headed out of the workshop and checked on Chompy to make sure he had enough food and water until the next visit. He then left the house and locked it.

He walked down the streets toward the power plant. As he reached the power plant, he saw something unusual there. All the guards were of the same specie as the one he met back in Sealand City. Why would the space pirates guard the power plant? There were standing guard with boos around the building. He found a way to infiltrate the power plant without being detected by going into the air vents. He ventured through them and checked all the possible exits. Most of them led to the main room with all the generators. These were being operated in the room but a mainframe could also operate them from a computer room found on the second floor of the building. The punk eventually found an exit that led him directly into the computer room but he had to wait after the guards inside. All the wigglers that worked for the power plant were kicked out of their job to prevent them to quickly start a rebellion and get rid of the boos almost instantly. Two guards were stationed inside the computer room. One of them was an alien while the other was a boo. A few minutes later, it was lunchtime. The guards left the room. This gave Larry the opportunity to sneak in and check the computers. With the multitool, he could bypass the security without triggering any alarms. Most of the computers barely had any information. The only point of interest was the mainframe that contained a message stating that the vacuum function of the generators was moved into an underground laboratory directly linked to the power plant. Larry went back into the air vents and proceeded downward to the secret laboratories. This laboratory was so secret that trespassing into it would be considered a federal crime due to how many secrets it held. In the underground, only aliens were on duty. The koopaling kept venturing into the air vents until he reached another computer room. There, no one was standing guard for now so he went inside and hacked through the mainframe with the multitool. Oddly enough, he did find the vacuum function but he also found a recording that dated from the big day. He downloaded the recording and activated the vacuum. His mission done, he snuck back outside and took a vantage spot to look at all the boos being sucked into the generator. Once the city was free of those ghosts, he noticed a strange behavior among the aliens. Instead of being scared and retreating or going back inside to undo the vacuum effect, they simply nodded at each other and left the power plant by teleporting. What was their purpose here exactly? Why would they just leave as soon as the city gets freed instead of helping their new allies? What was done was done though. They were gone. The wigglers slowly moved back into the streets celebrating their freedom and Larry headed back into the streets. The wigglers saw him coming out of the power plant and they hailed him as a hero.

"Thank you, sir, you have freed us!" One of the wigglers cheered.

"Do you know anything about those aliens?" Larry asked him.

"They arrived as soon as King Boo got the throne from Queen Flutter. Since the incident, the new king endorsed marital law on us wigglers so we were forced to stay home. Thanks to you, however, they all left the city. My guess is that they saw how much of pushovers the boos really are and left them."

"I see. I have to go."

The koopaling returned to Iggy's house where his friends were waiting.

"I have an excellent new: Queen Flutter is making her way back here as we speak!" The professor said.

"Aren't you afraid that her people might resent her?" Larry asked.

"At first, I thought so but when we went to a restaurant we met some wigglers saying that there was no legitimate ways that King Boo could have known that the surprise was the blue gas unless he made a deal with the culprit. We have to go to the elevator to welcome her."

The group went back to the elevator and Queen Flutter was waiting for them. They escorted her through the streets. The inhabitants saw her and cleared the streets. They went to the town hall where they had an important meeting.

"While I was at the power plant, I found that recording on the mainframe." The punk started as he pulled out his multitool of his sidepack and played the recording.

As the recording played, Larry recognized one of the two voices that was Riley's. The other voice was, without any doubts, King Boo's.

"Who do you think you are meddling into my business?" Riley's voice asked.

"Oh, I'm just a good Samaritan that cares about people… My people." King Boo's voice arrogantly answered.

"It surprises me that you knew all about it."

"Well, I saw this funny looking guy holding a box and anxiously walking toward Woodland City and…"

"Wait! He wasn't there in the first place!?"

"He was walking through the woods near my territory. I saw him and went to talk with. He was trembling and stuttering meaning that he was hiding something suspicious from me. So I took a peek into his box."

"How could you do that? Once the box opens, the gas gets released all over the region."

"I'm a ghost, duh. I can go through things and I saw those strange canisters."

"Since you know a lot about my plan, I'll have no choice but to kill you."

"Would you really do that without hearing my proposal?"

"I usually decline negotiations but I'm quite curious on how you'll pathetically attempt to convince me otherwise."

"Don't worry. I don't want you to necessarily stop what you're doing. In fact, I want you to proceed with your plan until right before your minion opens the box at the meeting. Then, I'll rush inside, "stop" him and accuse the queen of irresponsibly putting her people in danger."

"So you're a man of malice. I like that in you. Keep going. I'm all ears."

"I want something to rule over and that will be the best opportunity for me to siege Woodland and claim it as mine while the queen will be banished from it. Then, my subjects will enslave all the wigglers and I'll have my sweet victory that I've been waiting for way too long."

"Have you ever ruled over anything? Are you that dangerous of a being?"

"If I am dangerous!? Do you at least know who you're talking to!? When I first ascended as the King of boos, the royal drakoopa families had control of the seven lands and the Koopa Kingdom for many centuries. I posed as different members of the royal families to stir up trouble. Once my deed done, I looked at the spectacle from afar that the world called the Dragon War. You should've seen that. They all started killing each other. It was hilarious! The necreans, the royal family of the Koopa Kingdom, won the Dragon War but hilarity ensured as its people hunted them down. I waited for years to let the kingdom tear itself apart then I posed as a necrean to reclaim it. I ruled over it for ten years until another necrean, Bowser, came in the kingdom and saw through my disguise. I was expelled and now I live in Woodland ruling over the boos once again."

"Why do you want to rule over Woodland instead of a kingdom?"

"Today, Woodland holds many dangerous and interesting secrets. The power plant, by example, hides a secret laboratory underground."

"Do I look like a caveman to you, Casper? I have all the futuristic gizmos at the tip of my fingers."

"You think you're so hi-tech just because you come from outer space but wait until I tell you about a technology that connects worlds together allowing anyone to travel instantly to these worlds."

"Jackpot! That's what I'm talking about! You sir sure knows how to bargain! We have ourselves a deal!"

"Another thing: here's a list of potential threats to our plan."

"Let's see… Mario, Luigi, Elvin Gadd' Bowser, Iggy. Why would they pose a threat to us?"

"Mario is your biggest threat. He already dealt with space invaders so you should deal with him first. His brother, Luigi, has been a nuisance in my plans for years and can be a potential threat to your plan. Professor Elvin Gadd invented many technologies to foil my plans and co-works with Luigi. While I do not consider Bowser himself a threat, his son Iggy can be a dangerous individual to both of us. He's a crazy genius."

"Well, thanks for the heads up, future king."

"Oh stop it! You're making me blush."

There was a moment of silence. A few seconds later, another voice spoke. Larry recognize Kraig's voice.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Riley?"

"Are you kidding? I got a full scan on that guy and he's a real pushover. I don't care if he caused a war all by himself because the scanner says that he gets defeated by a vacuum, A FREAKING VACUUM! No wonder this guy's plan get foiled when you could just be cleaning your house and accidently suck him into a house-cleaning appliance. This guy's a joke but I'll let him have his moment of glory until I get tired of him. Also, I'll only plan to capture Mario but I'll leave everyone else alone. If what he says about him is true, I'll have to deal with him."

Larry was shocked that he discovered the dispute between the royal families, the Dragon War, was set up. It did not surprise him though that King Boo was responsible of the drakoopas' near-extinction. The group left the town hall with the queen and headed toward the Woodland Oak.


	19. Chapter 4-4

**Chapter 4-4: Iggy Koopa**

The group arrived at the doors of the Woodland Oak. A terrified boo was standing guard but flew away only to be sucked by the generator from the city.

"Alright, what's the plan, boss?" Agent 3 asked.

"Let's beat those guys down!" Agent 4 proposed.

"I need to ask you something, Professor Gadd: where did you see Iggy for the last time?" Larry asked.

"We were working in the Oak's workshop in the basement level."

"Here's the plan: you agents and Elvin go in the workshop looking for Iggy. I'll go see King Boo with the queen to get the yellow wand."

The group agreed and put the plan to execution. The team looking for Iggy snuck into the lower levels while Larry and Flutter went upstairs. The remaining boos were covering their faces out of demoralization by their defeat and let them pass. As they reached the doors to the throne room, a determined boo stood there stopping them.

"Halt, only royalties are allowed inside and none of you are." The guard told them.

The koopaling snapped his finger to reveal his true identity to the guard.

"You're a king? My apology, go right in." He bowed down as he opened the door to Larry.

"Good luck in there." Queen Flutter wished.

"Before I go in, here are some papers for you." Larry said as he handed the treaty renewal contract to the queen.

The Grassland king entered the throne room. Boos were standing guard in lines at the walls. The throne was occupied by one that could only be distinguished by its crown and slight size difference. The king was drinking a dark red liquid from a cup and stared at his guest. He was also holding a long metallic object like a cane with his other hand.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? An athlean that reclaimed his land dares to show up like that. I suspected that there would be survivors after Bowser dethroned me years ago…" The king started.

He nonchalantly threw his glass on the floor. The glass broke in many crystalline pieces as it hit the ground. After being dethroned, he kept himself silent and friendly to the public's eyes for all those years. Whenever he could though, he would always find a way to express his grudge against drakoopas for descending directly from the Creator. He envied them for how much power they had despite not being immortal like him. He always claimed that the ruler of Amarioca should be someone that could live forever. He left his throne and slowly hovered toward Larry.

"… But I did not suspect all the families to have survived. Give me a good reason not to kill you right now!" He coldly ordered.

"Seeing how you won't surrender, I'm not here for too long. First, I'm looking for my friend Iggy." The koopaling explained.

The boo king grinded his teeth but eventually regained his fanged smile.

"Is that so? You don't want me to lend the throne to you? Good, because I don't intend to give it away anyway. As for your friend, that's a pity because I haven't seen him since the incident but if you ask me I'd say good riddance. By the way, don't keep lying to me. I know you and the other drakoopas of Amarioca and how you're one little family now, raised by Bowser. I know a lot about you, Larry Koopa, or shall I call you by your true name: Lawrence Christopher Athlean." King boo answered.

He slowly returned to his throne where he searched in a bag that was carefully placed on the arm. He pulled out a small black object from it.

"Here, you can have these as a memento of your so-called brother." The king maliciously laughed as he tossed the object to Larry.

The latter caught the object in mid-air. The object was a pair of big oval glasses. He stared at it, completely ignoring the king.

"I remember that day when I finally made him smile again for good…"

 _So many years had passed that Junior hatched yet Iggy was still sad for an unknown reason. Larry could not get him to become steadily happy again for all those years. One day, he came up with the solution. He brought Iggy into the bathroom. A chair was placed in front of the mirrors and counter and a stool was standing behind the chair. On the counters, many hairdressing accessories and barber tools were aligned ready to be used. The chair also had a giant black tissue lying on it._

" _Larry, it's hopeless. It's been many years and we can't even fix me. Just give up already and stop wasting your efforts on me. I'm just a lost case." His big brother insisted._

" _I'm not giving up! I think I just figured out the reason behind your sadness: you look too much like Lemmy." Larry determinately replied._

" _Larry, I don't see how a different haircut would make me happier. But that logic, Lemmy would also be sad."_

" _Perhaps but I don't think Lemmy cares if someone looks exactly like him. Who knows? Maybe you are secretly afraid to be mistaken by someone else."_

" _Larry, that's stupid. I don't think that…"_

" _SHUT UP ALREADY! Now, sit on the chair and let me do the rest." Larry aggressively interrupted his brother._

 _Iggy nervously nodded and sat down on the chair and wore the tissue. Larry took off Iggy's glasses and put them on the counter._

" _Why do you take away my glasses?" His big brother asked._

" _You won't be able to anything without them so you won't spoil yourself the new look I'll be giving you. First thing, let's wash those hairs!" The punk said._

 _Larry took a bottle of shampoo and poured some soap on his hands and rubbed together and got on the stool to wash Iggy's hairs. Oddly enough, the hairs were harder than rock and all stuck together._

" _Gee, what kind of gel do you use to keep your hairs like that? Even Ludwig's gel would never be able to keep someone's hairs strong against a bullet bill!" Larry asked._

" _I don't use gel. They are naturally like that." Iggy answered._

" _Oh I doubt it. Guess I'll have to use the heavy artillery right now."_

 _The punk jumped off the stool and went to the counter to poured soap on his hand from another brand of shampoo. Whenever Ludwig used gel on his hairs to keep his hairstyle, he always had to use a more powerful shampoo to remove the gel off his hairs to wash them properly. With the koopalings sharing the same huge bathroom, all the hygiene products of his siblings were at Larry's mercy. He went back on the stool and rubbed Iggy's hairs as hard as he could. Finally, the hairs became loose but something unexpected happened. The colors on the hairs started melting down, dripping on Iggy's head._

" _Uh oh, this isn't good!" Larry said._

" _What's happening!? What's the stuff pouring all over my head!? This doesn't feel like shampoo at all!" Iggy panicked._

" _No, no, don't worry! I have everything under control! I'll just take a towel to clean away all the mess on your head and it should be fine."_

 _Larry jumped off the stool again and took his towel to wipe away the melting colors on Iggy's head. He tossed the messy towel away and saw that the hairs became green. He got an idea and took a comb to comb the hairs like a pineapple's leaves. Once done, he put the glasses back on Iggy's eyes._

" _Ta-da! Here's your new look!" Larry cheered._

 _Iggy stared at the mirror for a solid minute. He made some "Ha…"s occasionally. As the seconds passed, they became more and more frequent until he started chuckling. Eventually, he burst out of laugher. It worked. Larry finally found a way to make him laugh again._

" _Oh Larry, I look ridiculous like that!" His brother said still laughing._

 _He then realized that…_

" _Larry, I can smile again! I can laugh again! That's a miracle! I gotta tell the others about that! Thank you so much for helping me!" He joyfully said._

 _He stood up of his chair, threw the tissue aside and started hopping around and left the bathroom._

Larry snapped out of it and looked back at King Boo who was waiting impatiently for him to say anything.

"So, are you done staring at them? What are your other businesses here?" The king said.

"I'm here for the yellow wand." The koopaling replied.

"Of all the things I possess, this stick is the only other thing that interests you? In that case, I have something that needs to be done in the workshop found in the basement. You see, there's some giant robot that poses a threat to us boos with its vacuum weapon and I would like you to destroy it for us. Then, I'll give you the stick. Deal?"

The punk nodded. He left the throne and explained the situation to Flutter. They went back downstairs with a boo escorting them to the workshop's entrance. There, the rest of the group was waiting down there trying to figure out a way to unlock the door. The boo approached the door and unlocked it with his key. He opened it.

"Good luck in there, that robot took away many of my comrades." The boo said.

The group slowly entered the workshop but nothing seemed to be there. The tables were clean. There did not seem to have any sign of fight in here.

"Tell me, Professor. What's this robot he's talking about?" Larry asked.

"Ah yes, it's the project I was working on with Iggy. It's a robot capable of many things related to exploration and combat. We equipped it with some weapons and tools to test it but, don't worry, it's not equipped with the deadliest weapons in Woodland. Something is slipping me though, I have it at the tip of my tongue but I don't remember what it was."

Another door was in the workshop. This one led to the giant underground depot. The group entered the depot. It was filled with many crates stacked in a way to resemble buildings between streets. As they walked in the depot, they heard machinery. It came from a faraway corner. They slowly walked toward it. They all feared that it would be a giant monstrous mechanical menace. They saw the shadow of the machine from behind a stack of crates. The shadow shrank and an incredibly small robot came from behind the crates. It was a mecha koopa, a popular toy in the Koopa Kingdom that reached all of Amarioca and even Sarasia and Obeanie.

"That's the robot they're so scared of?" The inkling boy asked.

"Let's just break it and get this over with!" The inkling girl proposed.

The inklings moved forward and smashed the robot into scraps with their pipes.

"That's strange. I don't remember having something that small during the big day." Elvin reminded himself.

A horn honked at the group. They turned around and saw on the other side a mechanical Bowser taking half of the depot's height and the width of the street-like passages formed by the piles of crates. It slowly moved toward them. Its jaw opened and fired a bullet bill straight at them.

"Get to cover!" Larry ordered to the group.

They all hid behind the crates. The bullet bill passed by them and exploded in a huge fireball upon hitting the wall.

"Listen up, team! We gotta find a way to disable the…" The koopaling started.

They heard a strange noise. Agent 3 peeked out from behind the crates to see what was happening. He then looked back at the group, terrified.

"It's on wheels! It's coming right at us!" The inkling boy told them.

Just a second later, the robot was already behind them. The group ran from it but Larry turned his silver ring into gauntlets ready to act. The robot charged at him. The koopaling put his hands in front of him and grabbed the machine rolling toward him. The wands allowed him to hold his ground but the robot was too clever to fall into Larry's trap. It reversed and deployed a gatling gun out of its plating and it started rotating. The Gatling gun fired a barrage of fireballs so Larry had to move out of the way to avoid them. The fireballs bounced off the floor and went forward but extinguished once they went too far. Larry turned the gauntlets into the three-stone wand and summoned a rock wall with the floor to block the path to the robot. Unfortunately, the robot was equipped with a drill and decimated the wall in seconds. The koopaling turned the corner and saw his friends standing on top of some crates. They were lowering a steel beam that was hanging from some cables. The punk ran under the beam.

"Keep it high enough! The robot must not know we're leading him into a trap. It knows when it's being led into a trap! Once it gets close, lower it!" He shouted at them.

The robot showed up and advanced toward Larry at fast speed. The rest of the group lowered the steel beam once the machine was close enough. It hit the beam with its head so brutally that the beam got stuck on the head and ripped it apart. The head fell off the robot. It paused for a moment but took back its course at Larry. The latter already had a plan in mind. Before turning another corner to the left, he used the purple stone's magic power to turn the floor into ice. The robot tried to turn the corner to chase down its prey but the ice caused it to slide then slam into the wall. Being sideway, its right arm got heavily damaged with the impact. The impact also stunned the machine for a while. Larry took it as an occasion to summon his gauntlets and finish off his arm with a well-placed punch that tore it apart from the machine. He then went under the mechanical Bowser and saw a hatch on the leg. He pullet it open and found some inactive bob-ombs inside. With the red stone's power, he lit one of them on fire and closed the hatch. He went to take cover and the machine's leg blew up, causing the machine to fall sideway. The group gathered up in front of the helpless machine.

"It's over." Agent 3 whispered.

"It's time to finish it." Agent 4 said.

The group approached the machine.

"Stop!" A voice echoed.

They looked behind them and saw a wiggler heading toward them. He put himself between the group and the damaged robot. Why would this stranger try to protect what remained of the robot?

"Who are you? I haven't seen you before." The professor asked.

"I' m no one in particular but this is a mech, not a robot." The wiggler said.

"Oh, that's what I was forgetting about it. Who's inside?" Elvin continued.

The wiggler knocked on the robot's armor.

"It's alright! You can come out. They won't hurt you." The wiggler told to the mech.

The chest of the mech slowly opened itself.

"Gee, I wasn't expecting that at all." Larry said.

"Larry, is that you?" A voice spoke.

The koopaling recognized the voice. Once the mech completely opened, he jumped inside and found a koopa just like him. This tall one had green hairs shaped like a pineapple's leaves and a green shell. He had very small eyes. In fact, they were so small they did not have white globes or any eye color other than black.

"I recognize your voice but I can barely see without my glasses." The koopa continued.

Larry took the glasses out of his side pack and put them on the koopa's face. The glasses revealed that the latter had big blue eyes.

"Gee, Iggy, you could've just stepped out of the mech. Do you have that much difficulty to distinguish me from anything else?" Larry told the koopa.

"Well, I got kinda carried away because a lot of those boos tried to go in there." Iggy replied.

Larry helped his brother to get out of the mech. Once they got back on the floor, they hugged each other, glad to see that they were fine.

"Larry, since you're here, I have to give you something." Iggy said.

"If it's about the gadgets back at your house, I already got them." Larry replied.

"That's good but that's not what I want to give you."

The punk had no idea what his brother meant. The latter focused his energy and created a sphere of light in his hands like the ones Morton and Wendy gave to Larry. He handed it at his little brother. It went inside him.

"I don't understand. What's this for?" Larry asked.

"It seems kinda farfetched but you remember that we had a meeting that you weren't called for, right?" Iggy reminded him.

"Yeah, it was the week before the incident."

"Well, Bowser taught us about transferring energy to allow each other to wield the royal wands. He then told us about a plan to save the world in case that it would be in danger."

"Why would Bowser not invite me to this meeting?"

"Remember the week before where he privately asked us and our other siblings about who we trust the most?"

"It was kinda weird. Why would he ask us that?"

"My guess is that he wanted his most trustworthy child to bear our powers to save the world but he couldn't invite the winner which was you to the meeting. He often spoke about a force that would soon destroy our world and predicted that it would happen during the big day. He also said that the said force could anticipate anything from us. I'm not sure what it means but it must've been why Bowser didn't want you to attend the meeting."

"Speaking of that, I learned how Bowser predicted it. He was visited by a person named Doctor Kraig who was working on a vaccine against a bio-chemical weapon. With the few stocks he had, he could only choose a few people for it."

"A vaccine for a bio-chemical weapon? What happened out there?"

"A blue gas turned the population of Amarioca into dry creatures. There are survivors fortunately. I'm currently residing at the Mushroom Castle with Princess Peach. Junior and Kamek are also there."

"That's some good and bad news. What about the others?"

"Both Morton and Wendy fell victim to the infection. I freed them and they gave me the same orb that you just gave me. As for the others, I don't know yet what happened to them."

Their conversation was interrupted when King Boo showed up with many boos holding futuristic looking firearms and pointing these at the group. Woodland would never have such technology in its secret laboratory. It must have been a gift from the space pirates.

"Well, well, I thank you for getting rid of that robot but I'm afraid I cannot give you the yellow wand. I see that you also retrieved your so-called brother. I'm glad for you but I'm also glad for me as I'll finally get the chance to wipe out two of the royal drakoopa families permanently." The king deviously laughed while pointing the yellow wand at Larry.

The koopaling raised his hands and looked back at the king. He however noticed someone behind the boos. It was a human wearing a blue overall, a green shirt and a green cap with an L on it, white gloves and brown shoes. He had brown hairs and a black mustache and was wielding a modified vacuum. Larry got an idea.

"Do you have any last words before I erase you from existence?" The king proposed.

"I have a lot to say about you, your lowness. First off, you're a complete joke of a king. You claim to be the most powerful person in the world yet you and your subjects get beaten by a house-cleaning appliance. Second, if it wasn't for your crown and the yellow wand, I would've mistaken you for a regular ghost. Last but least, I know that deep inside you, you're a coward with no true power other than pitching people against each other as well as cowering out when things don't go as you want instead of facing them like a man. I could beat you anytime in my lifetime, young or old." Larry ranted.

Those last words angered King Boo. He saw that one of his minion was about to shoot Larry but the king clobbered his minion with his yellow want. He then grabbed the punk by the jacket.

"LISTEN UP, YOU DESPICABLE BRAT! I CAUSED THE DRAGON WAR ALMOST WIPING OUT ALL THE ROYAL FAMILIES! I TOOK OVER THE KOOPA KINGDOM AND RULED OVER IT FOR TEN YEARS! I ONCE CAPTURED MARIO, THE SO-CLAIMED HERO OF AMARIOCA! I DETHRONED QUEEN FLUTTER BY MYSELF! AND IF I HAVE TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I'LL GLADLY DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN JUST TO MAKE YOU REGRET YOUR ENTIRE EXISTENCE! I'LL KEEP YOU ALIVE INSTEAD OF KILLING YOU! I'LL MURDER EVERYONE YOU HOLD DEAR! I'LL CUT OFF YOUR LIMBS ONE BY ONE AND RIGHT BEFORE YOU DIE I'LL BURN YOU ALIVE! I AM A KING… No, I'm more than that. I. AM. A. GOD!" The king violently shouted.

As he was speaking, the human behind the king turned his vacuum on. Due to how loud King Boo was talking during his death threat, no one could hear the vacuum which proceeded to pull in the smaller boos without anyone noticing. As the king ended his speech, he put down Larry and took back his breath.

"I hope you have any last words to tell us." The koopaling arrogantly replied.

King Boo got afraid. Why would his prey suddenly ask him for last words while the king had the upper hand? The king looked around him and saw that his minions disappeared. He started panicking. He then looked behind him and saw the human with the vacuum.

"You!? How did you get here!?" The king asked out of fear.

The human did not answer. He manned his vacuum and the last boo started being pulled toward him. The boo grappled on some crates but the device was too strong for him. He had to let go. He dropped the yellow wand and the crown.

"RILEY, YOU DOUBLE-CROSSING PRICK, I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!" He said before vanishing into the vacuum.

Everyone sighed out of relief and went to see the human.

"Luigi, it's good to see you again." Professor Gadd greeted.

Luigi did not say anything. He sat down near some crates and leaned on them with his back. Some members of the group talked to each other questioning if he was alright. Larry sat down next to him.

"You sure know how to put your fear of ghosts aside and be the hero of the day." He complimented.

"I wish I could be the hero when Mario got taken away." Luigi finally said.

Everyone gasped to learn that Mario, the hero of Amarioca, got captured.

"How could this happen?" Agent 3 asked.

"Who did this?" Agent 4 asked.

"It was during the big day. Mario and I were at our house preparing ourselves for our meeting at the Mushroom castle. He left the house first while I was calling Daisy. Once I was done speaking to her, I was about to leave the house until my brother abruptly entered back afraid. He opened the closet and pushed me inside. He then pushed a piece of furniture in front of it. I had no idea what was happening. I managed to open the closet a little bit to see what was going on and the first thing I saw was my brother getting beaten up by a tall purple monster. I never thought that there would be something that Mario would be no match for. The monster took my brother and slammed him on everything he saw. In the end, Mario wasn't moving anymore. The monster slowly walked toward where I was hiding and broke the furniture that was blocking the closet in pieces. He then ripped off the door. I covered my face out of fear but he didn't hit me. He mocked me instead and told me that if I ever wanted to see Mario again I should get rid of King Boo in Woodland. So I travelled and saw the horror everywhere. Everyone was turned into dry creatures. I tried to call Daisy for help but she said she couldn't come because Sarasia was in lockdown while Amarioca was quarantined. Peach didn't respond so I mustered my courage and went to Woodland. By the time I arrived, King Boo was ruler of Woodland but I found a way in the Woodland Oak waiting the right moment to strike. I however came to realization that the monster would never return my brother to me." Luigi explained.

Larry put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Luigi would always rely on Mario to save the day. The green plumber was not as courageous as his big brother and was always scared when Mario was not here to save the day. Being a hero always put too much pressure on the little brother.

"Peach is alive at the Mushroom Castle and she's been looking for you and Mario. She'll come in Woodland to renew the peace treaty with Queen Flutter." He said.

"She is? In that case, I have to see her! I must tell her Mario is gone. Thank you for this great new!" Luigi said back.

The green plumber stood up and most of the group escorted him out the Oak. Only Larry and Queen Flutter remained behind in the depot. The queen put her crown back on her head and picked up her yellow wand.

"Your highness, I'm afraid I have to ask you to give me the yellow wand." The koopaling said as he pulled out a letter from his sidepack and handed it to her.

Flutter read it and understood the circumstances. She gave Larry the yellow wand and left the depot. The wand started to glow, so did Larry's silver ring. He summoned his wand and fused the yellow wand with it. The new wand now had four stones from the previous wands it fused from.

"That's four wand found, we're halfway through it. You're doing great, Larry." Starlow's voice complimented.

Slow claps echoed through the depot. The koopaling looked around and saw Riley sarcastically applauding him with his usual big grin. For how long had the alien been waiting here?

"Bravado, what a show, you showed King Boo how much of a joke he is!" Riley said.

"What do you want?" The punk asked as he reverted back to his normal clothes.

"Going down straight to business, I like that. MOM put a bounty on your head and I'm here to claim it as mine. Since you don't seem eager to run away, I'll let you choose your death." The alien deviously told him as he walked around him.

"I know you're not a bounty hunter. I know you caused the incident."

"Details schmetails, you can't chase me. So, do you want Mister Bangbang to blow you up or Misses Bloojoos to infect you?" He diabolically said while drawing his photon pistol from one hand and a canister full of blue liquid in the other.

Between the two choices, the blue liquid would be the safest bet. Even if Riley's gun tended to jam often as he claimed, he might be bluffing. Larry chose the liquid.

"Oh, you have a nice taste in death, I'll give you that. Now, drink it!" Riley ordered as he handed him the canister.

The koopaling opened it and started drinking the liquid. Despite never having tasted garbage juice, he did smell it and the liquid tasted exactly like that. He had to pause many times to not fall sick due to the abysmal taste it had. After drinking all of it, he fell on his knees and bent over. Riley impatiently waited to see the result but things did not go as planned. Larry was faking it and used this opportunity to kick one of Riley's left causing him to fall down. He grabbed after the forked tail and swung the alien into a pile of crates. The impact caused a lot of pain to his foe that the latter struggled to stand up.

"Gee, I just came here to be entertained, not killed. I wasn't expecting you to be immune but that'll make it better once I get to infect you someday." Riley said.

As Larry charged toward him, the alien took and electric prod from his armor and shocked the koopaling. Larry could barely move with all the electricity flowing through his body.

"Not so fast, punk, before I go, I have to show you a little something." Riley happily said.

He summoned a trumpet and started blowing into. The fanfare caused something to screech.

"I would like you to meet…" The alien started with a grin.

A skeletal monster got out of behind some crates. Larry stared at it and recognized the skeleton. He could not believe his eyes. It was…

"Bone-ser!" Riley presented.

How did Riley manage to turn Bowser into a dry creature? He was on the list of people that got vaccinated. Larry did not know what to do. The person he was looking for got turned. There was nothing he could have done to save his father.

"Oh my, you should see the look on your face! Hold on. Let me take a mirror." Riley mocked as he pulled out a mirror from his armor to show Larry his current face.

The punk was not reacting. He was paralyzed out of surprise.

"Are you gonna cry now? Please, do. I'm sure your tears must be flavorful!" Riley kept mocking.

Riley waited for a brief moment but he had enough after only a few seconds. He was very impatient. He had other things to do besides waiting after someone to cry him a river.

"Bah, what a killjoy you are. Let's go back to business, shall we? Consider this as my final warning. If you ever cross path with me again, I'm gonna make you regret your whole life." Riley threatened.

With a flick of his fingers, Dry Bowser turned into a light blue orb that vanished into an electrical explosion. The alien looked back at Larry.

"By the way, your remaining siblings are still alive but you better hurry because Bone-ser is full of ultra-bio-chemical weapon and he won't hesitate to share it with them." Riley laughed before he vanished into a blast of energy.

The koopaling stood there and did not say a word.

"Larry, this can't be true! Say something!" Starlow's voice begged.

"I need to go to sleep." The punk whispered with his eyes open wide.

He slowly made his way out of the Oak and headed back into the city. He entered the town hall where everyone was. He saw Peach and Luigi hugging each other but he did not bat an eye. He walked next to a room were Junior and Iggy were speaking to each other.

"Iggy, I'm so glad to see you again!"

"Me too, you should've seen the giant mech I was building for space expeditions."

"Do you think you'll let me ride it like all your other inventions?"

"Well, about that, it broke down."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say that I was unintentionally fighting Larry and neither of us knew that."

"How could this happen?"

"I didn't have my glasses on and I got carried away after so many boos tried to get to me."

They laughed but Larry was not in the mood to join them. He met up with the inklings and ordered them to bring the jeep back to Sandland. He then took the pipe back to the Mushroom Kingdom without talking to anyone else. There, Starlow was waiting for him.

"Larry, I'm sorry for what happened." She mourned.

"I need to take a shower." The koopaling whispered.

"Larry, are you alright?" The star sprite asked.

The punk did not answer. He went to the bathroom and took off all his clothes and his shell. He turned one of the showers on but did not move for hours. Many people entered and left the bathroom and tried to talk to him. They all concluded that he was not expecting to see one of his siblings again but none of them knew what Larry saw after that. A few more hours later, the water-saving system stopped the shower Larry was using. He lied down sideway near a corner and slowly closed his eyes. He did not just lose a father, a boss or a king. He lost… his sense of purpose.

 **END OF ACT 4**


	20. Chapter 5-1

WARNING: The first part of this chapter ( _ **in bold-italic**_ ) contains content that may be unsuitable for most readers. If you fall easily sick, please skip this part.

 **ACT 5: ROY THE JOYFUL**

 **Chapter 5-1: Good Mourning**

 _ **Larry woke up. Despite that, he could not see a thing because of how pitch black the place was. The only noticeable thing was an unbearable stench forcing him to cover his nose. A chant whispered to him:**_

" **I got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy;**

 **Down in my heart;**

 **Down in my heart;**

 **Down in my heart...**

 **I got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy;**

 **Dooown innnn my heart!**

 **Down in my heaart tooodaay!**

 **Joy... Down in my heart...**

 _ **A faint light appeared slightly far away from the koopaling, revealing a face wearing shades grinning at him. Larry did not recognize the face though.**_

" _ **How about you?" The face asked.**_

 _ **The lights went on. Larry looked around and saw that he was in a factory. He was standing on grilled platforms hanging above nothing. He looked back at the face and it was now…**_

" _ **Roy?" Larry gasped.**_

 _ **Roy was wearing a black spiked helmet, red spiked pauldrons and black pants. He was holding a lighter. Behind Roy, the punk saw four of his siblings tied by their hands hanging over nothing. To Roy's left, he recognized Junior and Iggy while Lemmy and Ludwig were hanging down from ropes on the other side. The ropes were attached around their body. They were unconscious.**_

" _ **Oh, it's you." Roy sighed while keeping his grin.**_

" _ **Roy, what are you doing?"**_

" _ **See these people?"**_

" _ **They're our siblings, Roy. Stop messing around and…"**_

" _ **Do you like them?"**_

" _ **Of course I…"**_

" _ **Do you love them?"**_

" _ **Roy, what's wrong with…"**_

" _ **Do you care?"**_

 _ **The words spoken by his big brother started to creep out Larry. What could have happened to him to feel so indifferent toward his siblings?**_

" _ **Have you changed, Larry?" Roy continued asking.**_

" _ **I still care about all of you!"**_

" _ **These people are holding your back. I want them all dead… Or… Your life."**_

 _ **Larry could not bring himself to make a decision like that. In one way, he would lose his sense of purpose in life. In the other way, he would have to give up on saving the world. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation for him.**_

" _ **That's fair, right?" Roy deviously asked.**_

" _ **I choose neither. How about I bring you back on heart?" Larry threatened.**_

 _ **Roy's grin turned into a plain mouth expression.**_

" _ **Larry, that was really stupid." He declared.**_

 _ **His big brother slowly walked toward him. Larry was ready to confront him. He already fought against him at the F3 and beat him here and many times before that. He did not doubt he could beat him again. He knew exactly where to punch Roy to neutralize him. He punched him and…**_

 _ **It did nothing. Roy did not even react to the punch. He took Larry's arm and broke it. He grabbed his little brother and slammed him on the floor on his belly. The impact stunned the punk. The latter tried to get back up but something pressed on his back. He could not move. He heard something unsheathing itself and the next thing he knew was that something pierced his back and his chest. He then felt something rising in his throat. He was choking on it. It rose into his mouth swelling his cheeks. He could not hold it any longer. He opened his mouth and got terrified when he saw himself vomiting blood. His eyes widened and be began to scream in terror. Never had he thought in his entire life that it was possible for someone to vomit blood.**_

" _ **Do you like the taste of you own blood?" Roy's voice mocked.**_

 _ **He felt the first object, the one that went through his body, twisting delivering more pain to him. He screamed even louder and more blood came out of his mouth. The object left his body and what pressed on his back left but Larry had no more energy to act. The object took all of it away. Roy grabbed him by the neck and tossed the lighter into the darkness below them. As the lighter vanished into the darkness, sounds of spinning buzz saws echoed through the building. They approached a spot with no floor.**_

" _ **Don' forget to tell them about our dad being dead, you failure. I know you'd keep it a secret. You were always known for having a soft spot for the throne and I would've never doubted that you would've backstabbed him." Roy concluded before throwing his little brother into the darkness.**_

 _ **Larry fell into it and saw all the buzz saws at the bottom ready to slice him in pieces. Before he could reach them…**_

"Wake up, Larry. It's not a really comfortable place to sleep."

Larry woke up, still in the bathroom. He saw in front of him that he vomited something certainly a result of the liquid Riley forced him to drink the other day. He turned around and saw Isabelle wrapped in a towel. She just finished taking her shower and just notice that her boss was sleeping here.

"That's not a good place to rest with all the humidity and noise." She joked.

Larry did not reply. He slowly got back on his feet. He was still naked. His assistant gave him a towel which he wrapped around his lower body part.

"I noticed that you fell sick. Do you want me to bring you something for that?" Isabelle asked.

"No, I'm fine. Can you gather everyone in the main hall? I have something important to announce."

The dog nodded and left the bathroom. The koopaling saw his shell and clothes in a corner of the bathroom. He was only in the mood to put on his underwear and shell, not the rest of his clothes. He slowly made his way into the corridor, upstairs and in the main hall. There, everyone was gathered waiting after Larry to tell them something. Larry stood in front of the stairs leading to the second floor, surrounded by the inhabitants of the castle. He noticed however that many toads were missing. He also noticed that Elvin, Luigi and Iggy were here.

"Excuse me. May I have your attention please? I have an important announcement to make." The punk asked.

Everyone looked at him. Larry looked back at the crowd. He saw Starlow among the resident. She knew what the koopaling would tell everyone. He kept staring at the people. Some people in the crowd spoke to each other, questioning if the punk was alright. Some others pressured him to spit it out. Larry spotted his libra standing in front of the crowd.

"Junior, may you come forward please?" Larry asked.

Junior slowly walked toward him and stopped right in front of him. Larry was afraid to tell his libra the new concerning their father but he had to. He was trembling. They stared at each other for a few second until the punk fell on his knees and took his little brother in his arms. He began crying.

"Larry, what's wrong?" Junior asked.

"I'm sorry, Junior… I failed you…" The punk sobbed.

"What do you mean? You saved Iggy. He's right here!"

"You don't understand… When everyone left the oak, I stayed behind and… I saw Bowser… He got turned into a dry creature."

The crowd gasped to hear such a shocking new. No one was expecting Bowser to be seen after he was not found at his castle. Junior started crying.

"No, you're lying! This can't be happening! Please, tell me you're joking!" The prince begged.

Larry released his little brother only to grab him by the shoulders and stare into his eyes.

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE A JOKE TO YOU!? HE'S DEAD, JUNIOR! HE'S NOT COMING BACK NOR IS HE COMING HOME!" He shouted.

"Larry, stop! You're hurting me!" His libra cried.

The punk only realised then that he stuck his claws into his libra's shoulders. When he released him, he saw that he left small red marks on them. He also saw that Junior was crying. He could not stand to see him cry and this time he was the one who made him cry not only by telling him the new but by physically hurting him. He quickly stood up and ran through the crowd. He then rammed through the door and left the castle. He was ashamed of himself for what he just did.

The sky was entirely filled with clouds. Not a single place was present where the sun could show up. Larry ran on the streets. He noticed that the toads were slowly moving back into town. He did not care though. He wanted somewhere to be alone. He headed to the Toad Harbor and spotted an abandoned tram surrounded by dry toads. He summoned his gauntlets and decimated the crowd. It was what he wanted to do to Riley for offering his father a fate worse than death. After that, he entered the tram and curled up crying. A few minutes passed and footsteps could be heard.

"Hey, I heard about your dad, see?" A familiar voice spoke.

Larry raised his head and saw Popple. He was still grinning as usual but his face revealed more empathy than usual joy. The punk looked away.

"Of all the people that would try to comfort me, you're the one I wasn't expecting at all. I don't see you as an empathetic guy." The koopaling replied.

"Listen. I know you're still angry at me because of how I teased you and the dog girl that other time but that was because I didn't know what happened to her, see? Now, I know what happened to you and I won't make a clown of myself again, boss." The burglar apologised.

Popple sat right next to him.

"Your dad wouldn't want you to run away like that, right?" The burglar asked.

"He's gone now. It doesn't matter anymore." Larry reminded him.

"You still have two brothers and a grandpa, see? Don't tell me you'll ditch them like that!"

"What do you know about family?"

"I don't know much unfortunately."

"My thought exactly. Now, get lost."

"You never wondered why I never had a family in the first place."

The punk guy did not reply right away because he noticed Popple losing his grin. It was a first sight for Larry. Even sad, Popple would still grin. Why was it an exception now? What could have happened to him long ago that he would not want to remember in fear of losing his grin? The burglar looked away. He did not stare at anything in particular. He was just looking in front of him.

"Care to hear a fool's tale?" Popple asked.

Larry was not sure what to answer. He was curious to hear what the burglar had to say but, at the same time, he was not in the mood to be with anyone. Though, he thought that listening to someone might comfort him. He nodded.

"I was born in Obeanie without parents so I was put in an orphanage since birth, see?"

"Didn't anyone ever adopt you?"

"I didn't have much chance. I spent seven years spread between many orphanages, see? The queen made many budget cuts on the institutes for something else so many orphanages had to close for not receiving any funds. It's also to note that people here tended to avoid adopting someone as if it was some kind of taboo. One day, I had enough and left the last one I was thrown into, see? That's when I started robbing food from people. One day, I got caught by some old witch. Her name was Cackletta. She admired me for having the courage to rob her so she "took me under her wing", see?"

"Why do you put an emphasis on "took me under her wing"?"

"I mean she didn't even care about me. She already had an assistant named Fawful that she spoiled to the bones. She treated him more like a son than she treated me, see? I only got leftovers. After a few days only, I left them and went back on the streets, see?"

"Weren't you afraid that they might chase after you?"

"Pfah! I never saw them ever again! Another seven years passed and, one day, I met your dad, see?"

"You actually met him?! When did you meet him?!"

"It must've been five or six years ago."

"My dad vanished at that exact time. A few months later, he came back with an egg. What was he doing there?"

"I didn't know because he lost his memories, see? So, while he recovered his memories, I decided to teach him some stuff about robbing people but I had to mask his true identity so I made him a blue mask that covered his face, hairs and horns. A few weeks later, we wanted to rob the Beanbean Castle, see? So, we infiltrated it but he unexpectedly recovered his memories all of a sudden. The castle residents were alerted and, to not have him getting blamed, I told him to run out of here and then I threw myself into the guards, see?"

"What happened to him after?"

"I was thrown in the dungeon but visits were allowed. Bowser went visiting me every day and even told me about you and your other siblings. Then, he brought a female koopa with him."

Larry could not believe his ears. Popple, of all the people in the Mario World, might have seen Junior's mother.

"What was her name?" Larry curiously asked.

"I don't remember that well but I think it sounded like Claudia, see?"

"You mean Clawdia?"

"Yes, that was it!"

"What did she look like?"

"She looked a lot like Bowser, see? Though, she had beautiful scarlet lips, long flamboyant hairs and jewelry on her hands, neck and fingers. She was the most beautiful koopa of her kind in the world. So, he kept visiting me with his girlfriend. But, a few weeks later, he visited me once but, instead of bringing his girlfriend, he brought an egg and he was crying, see? He told me that he had to return to Amarioca. I didn't bother to ask him why Clawdia didn't show up so I presumed she broke up with him and left him an egg, see? After that, I received an odd daily visit: the prince."

"Why would the prince visit you?"

"I asked him that same question but he told me of how lonely he was in the castle. He told me about how he was homeschooled instead of going in a public or private school so he didn't make any friends to play with, see? He was the same age as I was. His visits were pushed even further."

"What do you mean?"

"Unlike your dad who just checked if I was fine, the prince would always dismiss the guards and enter my cell with board games and stuff, see? It was one of the few times I enjoyed being behind the bars. As he visited me, I started feeling something strange inside me. And then, one day, he opened my cell but he had a sad look on his face. He told me to escape and leave Obeanie because the queen would put me on death row, see?"

"What did you do to be punishable by death?"

"Trespassing on royal properties is a crime worthy of death row in Obeanie. As I left my cell, the strange feeling took over me and I found myself taking the prince in my arms and kissing him right into the mouth, see? When I realised what I just did, I unhanded him and looked at him embarrassedly. I was expecting him to throw me back inside but… He blushed. It made him sadder and he looked away. He gave me coins to buy myself a ticket out of there so I used the coins to travel to Amarioca, see? I wanted to see Bowser and his family. However, the queen knew all about it and her guards were already there. To prevent the Obeanian authority to take me back home where they'll execute me, I had to commit the same crime but in Amarioca so I went in the Mushroom castle and tried to steal a necklace the princess was wearing, see?"

Popple paused for a moment.

"As for the rest of the story, you know it. I was condemned to community services by the Mushroom Kingdom and lived five or six years in a cell in the Mushroom Castle all alone. Bowser would occasionally visit me but I could feel he no longer had the heart and I no longer had the same joy in my heart. In the end, when the incident happened, a lockdown was put on Obeanie while Amarioca got quarantined leaving me alone until I met you, boss. I'll also admit that I used to keep contact with the Obeanian prince but, since I broke my phone, I lost contact." The burglar finished.

"What do you think takes more courage between losing someone you hold dear and growing up all alone?" The koopaling asked.

Neither could answer the question but Popple felt that he managed to comfort Larry with his empathy. The latter was surprised that the former actually cared for others despite being alone in the world.

"Listen, I know you might be angry at me and you'll think I'm delusional but I don't believe Bowser's truly gone, see? As long as we and the others remember him, he'll always be here for us. Speaking of which, I bought you a little something for you, boss." Popple declared while he started searching in his bag.

"You bought me something? Are you sure you didn't scavenge or steal it somewhere?" Larry asked.

"I even kept the receipt to prove it, see? The toads are moving back into town and the toy shop was back on business while I was looking for you, boss."

The burglar pulled a Bowser plush with a receipt out of his bag and gave them to the koopaling. The latter stared at the plush and felt a sense of comfort while holding it. He hugged his friend and thanked him.

"Also, I brought you something to eat, see? Your secretary told me that you didn't eat anything since yesterday." Popple continued while handing his boss a tuna sandwich.

Larry starting eating his sandwich but it was not at his usual pace. He may have not gotten over Bowser's demise yet but he slowly started retrieving his cheerful mood and he was thankful that someone took the time to sit down with him especially after he heard about Clawdia. Popple stood up.

"By the way, that old koopa's looking for you, boss. You should swing by at the castle before going on another journey." He said before leaving the tram.

After his lunch, Larry stood up and headed back to the Mushroom castle with a better mood. On the bridge right before the entrance, he saw Isabelle and Toadsworth talking to each other.

"Can you imagine losing someone you hold dear like that? It's more horrible than any other way." Toadsworth started.

"I know. I lost my brother Digby like that."

"You did? I am sorry to hear this."

"It was a few days ago. Larry helped me go back to my town but everyone was turned into skeletons and my twin brother was no exception. I was glad that I could free him but I don't know how I did it."

"Ah yes, Starlow told me about it when Larry freed Morton and Wendy: it seems that, in the presence of someone they hold dear and an object they recognize themselves into, the dry creatures can be freed."

"I didn't show Digby anything."

"That must mean he held you dear and saw himself in you."

The koopaling passed by them and waved at them. They waved back at him. Larry entered the castle and headed toward his room. Kamek was sitting down next to the door leading to the room looking down.

"How could he leave us like that?" Kamek whispered.

The punk sat right next to him.

"Larry, how did this happen? He was immune to the virus. He was on the list. He wouldn't have pretended to be immune to fool our enemy and give his vaccine to someone else." The magikoopa asked.

"I don't know. Bowser's not the kind of person what would try to deceive anyone. Is Junior inside the room?"

"Yes, he's in. I don't have the courage to talk to him. There's a lot I need to discuss with him but I don't want to pressure him."

"It's alright. I'll go talk to him."

"Before you go in, I want to tell you about what I witnessed in the Dragon War."

"You don't want to wait another time? We just lost a king."

"I know but I'd rather tell such thing when I'm sad than when I'm glad. The seven drakoopa families were like one big family for me. I loved each and every single drakoopa. When the Dragon War started, I could not look at anyone. They were all killing each other. Bowser was just a newborn at the time and…" Kamek started.

He covered his face with his bonnet and sobbed.

"The aftermath was much worse. The survivors from each family refused to speak to each other even if I was appointed to make them reconcile. It was then I lost all hope in life. I don't know why but I kept on living and I made the right choice. You father adopting you and the others is what brought back my hope." He finished, uncovering his face and smiling at Larry.

The punk nodded and stood back up. He went to the door and grabbed the doorknob.

"Now's your chance to prove that you truly changed for the better. Junior's gonna need you more than ever." The punk pointed out.

The punk entered the room and saw his libra sat down on his bed. He was all alone in the room. The prince was not doing anything in particular. Larry sat next to him.

"Hey, Junior, I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier." Larry apologised.

Junior did not say anything. This worried the punk as it might have broken his bond with his libra.

"Listen. I know I tend to be direct and blunt with those kinds of things and I didn't want to harm you either."

"Larry… I was expecting papa to leave us."

"Don't say that, Junior."

"I dreamed that he got turned into a dry creature. I somehow felt that he was already gone when you rescued me. I wanted to believe he was still around and that it was just a dream but it became true. Larry, I also want to tell you that I shouldn't have questioned you earlier. You've always been honest toward me and if even if there were times you might not have been you did it to protect me."

"Junior, I…"

"Kamek must be waiting outside I suppose. Tell him that I'll succeed papa on the throne."

"Aren't you afraid that you might not be able to or that you won't be worthy of his ideals? You're still very young, Junior. You shouldn't have to live that much pressure right now. Even if Kamek wants you to become the next koopa king, we can still take someone else."

"I doubt we'll be going home soon. Besides, many people here can teach me how to be a good king. You and Peach rule over Grassland and the Mushroom Kingdom respectively. Toadswoth and Isabelle are advisors so they can help me make decisions better. Kamek has been with papa Bowser for a long time."

"Well, if you insist so much, I won't stop you. Just make sure you're doing the right decision, okay?"

"Larry, I'm sure you know there's been something between me and him back in the Koopa Castle when we were in the shelter. I won't hide it from you. He now wants to be a better person and I intend to give him a second chance. Will you do the same?"

"Yes… I think I'll give him a second chance. I have a little something for you. Dad's gonna be watching over us." Larry said as he handed Junior the Bowser plush Popple gave him to comfort him.

The prince hugged the plush and Larry wrapped his arm around him. They stayed like that for a while until someone entered the room. Kamek finally mustered his courage and entered the room to meet them.

"I apologise for my interruption but…"

"I'll take the throne." Junior told him.

"You will? Didn't you want Larry to…"

"I changed my mind. Larry's already busy looking after our family. I don't want him to work himself too hard."

"I have to go, Junior." Larry told him.

"Where are you going?"

"I had a dream that I met Roy and I want to make sure he's fine. By the way, Kamek, do you know where I can find the photo album?"

"Ah yes, I can summon it." Kamek said.

With a gesture with his wand, the magikoopa made a thick grimoire appear. The punk opened it and browed the many family pictures until he reached a specific Halloween one. He and his siblings were in the picture, even Roy. Roy was not the kind of person that would go trick or treating or even go to Halloween parties. This however changed when he was watching Ludwig play a disturbing video game where he got hooked on one of the characters for sharing similar physical traits. Since then, he terrorized people every Halloween with his new costume. Larry recognized it. It was the same exact costume he saw Roy wearing in his dream which terrified him even more. He then left the room where Isabelle was waiting outside holding his clothes.

"Hi, Larry, I cleaned your clothes and ironed them." She said with a smile.

"Thanks, Isabelle, can you also…"

"I looked in you genealogy and I figured out a pattern of who you look for next. I already prepared the peace treaty renewal for the Skyland council. Here. I also received a phone call from King Wart asking you about a Grassland jeep that was left in his city." She continued while handing over the clothes and the papers.

"Tell him that I'll be in Sandland in a minute and that I'll take both the jeep and my bike."

His advisor nodded. Larry put his clothes back and went looking after Starlow and Geno. They were downstairs, along with Elvin and Iggy, following Peach who led them to a secret laboratory hidden behind a painting of pyramids. The group entered the pyramid. Elvin, having been here before, took little time to suit himself. The others examined the many machines and computers with fascination. When Larry entered the room, they all looked at him.

"Starlow, Geno, are you ready to head out?" Larry asked.

"Already? Larry, you just lost your father. Shouldn't you take a break today?"

"I wish I could but you heard Riley. My other siblings are in danger and I need to get to them before he does. He knows a way to bypass the vaccine."

Both Starlow and Geno nodded and told Larry to meet them in his room. They left the laboratory.

"Hey, Larry, since you're here, I've been working on a little something that might help you later." Iggy said.

His big brother showed him some triangular sunglasses.

"These sunglasses are equipped with night vision, thermal vision and x-ray vision. They also come with a built-in microphone and speakers so I can contact you anywhere."

"Thanks, this will help. Also, I wanted to ask you about your life transfer thing."

"Oh, that? I pulled the plug on it. Sometimes, we need to play the Creator but we also need to know when to stop and that was way out of boundaries. So, where're you heading today?"

"Skyland, I need to check on Roy."

"You be careful, Larry. We don't know what to expect with all the dry creatures roaming around here."

"I will."

Larry left the laboratory with the sunglasses on his head but did not get far fast enough that he overheard Iggy talking to Elvin.

"Professor Gadd, I finally brought my copy of your latest book to sign."

"Ah yes, you did not have it on you during the big day. I remember now. You wanted me to sign it. Here you go."

"Aaah! Your signature looks amazing! I can't believe I finally got an autograph from my idol!"

"Please, I am no movie star or singer. I am only a scientist."

"Yes but you're famous in science!"

Larry headed back upstairs where he met up with Starlow and Geno.

"Don't tell me you're going to wear these inside the castle." Starlow grumbled.

"My vision is augmented." Larry joked.

The trio packed the sidepack and left the room. Larry combed his hairs before reaching the main door. On the other side of the main hall, they saw Birdo and Popple having a conversation.

"Can I come with you on your next shift?"

"Well, I go into dangerous places with many dry creatures, see?"

"I can defend myself. I also wanted to tell you this the first time I saw you but I was embarrassed about it: I find you cute."

"Sorry but you're not my type."

Birdo approached Popple and whispered something in his ear.

"Well, I can make an exception for once, see?"

"Do you want to go at the café after the shift?"

"Okay."

The trio headed downstairs and took the pipe to Sandland. It was a race against time now. They would have to make it quick to reach the other koopalings before Riley would.


	21. Chapter 5-2

**Chapter 5-2: Out of reach**

When the trio arrived in Sandland, King Wart was waiting for them. As usual, the king welcomed the group. He then escorted them to the jeep which was stationed near the town hall. The group got into the vehicle.

"Wart, can you tell me the garage where my bike is? I know I should've picked it up days ago but since my journey to Sealand I didn't passed by here." Larry asked.

"Sure thing, head down the street and take a turn on Clawgrip Avenue. The garage will be on the left. And don't worry about picking it up late. I went checking on it every day and they took the freedom of making some adjustments on your bike. I approved of those." Wart told him.

"Thanks!"

"Where are you heading to today, King Larry?"

"I'm going to Skyland. I need to get the black wand and find my brother Roy."

"Be careful there. The Skyland government has a new leader that completely shut down any mean to get to the city. They will shoot down any ship that tries to get to the city."

"I'll think about something once I get close. Thanks for the heads up."

"Very well, I will not keep you here any longer. Take care."

"You too."

The group followed Wart's indication and found the garage. Inside, a shyguy went to see them.

"It's been days since your bike's ready. We took the liberty to replace the old hull with a more reinforced one and we put nitrous on it in case you get into trouble and need to escape from it." The mechanic said.

The group put the bike in the back of the jeep and attached it. They left Sandland and headed to Grassland to bring the jeep back. It took them a few hours to reach the city. Despite not being six 'o'clock yet, they stopped at a local restaurant for supper. Grassland city had returned to a close to normal lifestyle. A few soldier guys were patrolling the streets on the lookout for dry creatures while goombas were back at their old lives. Once they brought back the jeep there, Larry took his bike and pulled out his cushion belt. He attached it around himself to allow Geno to grab his back without the spikes intervening. They rode the bike for a few more hours. They eventually reached the border that separated Grassland and Skyland. A goomba was stationed there but no lakitu was present. From where they were, they could see the clouds Skyland City was resting on. The sun was slowly setting but a small silhouette caught the group's attention. Larry took his binoculars to look at the silhouette better. It was a ship heading toward the city. The punk looked off his binoculars but another silhouette caught his attention. He looked back in his binoculars and saw a bullet bill heading toward the ship. As both collided in each other, they were immediately engulfed in a giant fireball.

"This must be what Wart was talking about." Geno said.

"How are we going to get to Skyland city without getting ourselves blown?" Starlow worryingly asked.

"First, let's find someplace to stay for the night. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at what remains to fly us to the city." Larry proposed.

The group continued on the road until they reached a motel near the sea. They parked the bike in the parking lot and got off.

"Test one, two, one, two, hello Larry, can you hear me? Just hold the right side of your glasses." Iggy's voice spoke.

"Hey Iggy, I can hear you crystal clear."

"Good, I forgot to mention that your glasses also come with a camera and a speaker to allow me to see what you see and hear what you hear. I may have tested them before but, to make sure they work as intended, can you test all the functions? There's a switch on the left side of your glasses that will change your vision."

The punk found the switch and pressed it upward. He was now seeing everything in green.

"The night vision works. Try another function."

He pushed the switch to the left and he was now seeing everything in red. He looked at his hands. They appeared white through the glasses.

"The thermal vision works. You have one more function to try."

He pushed the switch downward and he was now seeing everything in black. He looked at his hands again but could only see his bones.

"Great, that'll do. It's getting a bit late here. I'll let you get someplace to stay for the night. To switch the vision back to normal, push the switch to the right. You can contact me anytime by holding the right side of your glasses. Iggy out."

The group entered the motel. It was deserted. No one was here so the trio took one of the keys on the wall. Larry took a very specific key with the number 88 carved on the head and the group went to install themselves inside the room. The motel rooms were standard rooms that had a bedroom with two double beds and a bathroom. Larry took off his shades and put them on a table between the beds. He went in the bathroom, took off his shell and clothes, and went in the shower. After his shower, he dried himself with a towel and put back his underwear on. When he returned in the bedroom, he saw Starlow talking to the sunglasses. With her telekinetic powers, she could activate the microphone and stand in front of the glasses at the same time.

"If I understand correctly, you come from space?" Iggy's voice asked.

"Indeed, we were sent by the stars to retrieve the seven magic wands and the two kingdom artifacts."

"What is a star sprite exactly?"

"I cannot tell you much about us other that we act as guardian angels to a person we choose to be the hero for a problem."

"Do you think the stars would allow me to know more about star sprites?"

"I'm not sure myself. They're very secretive about themselves and rather not getting too intertwined with anyone's affair other than sending assistance. Maybe in the future they will share some information."

"Alright, I'll go to bed. Iggy out."

The punk sat on the bed facing the star sprite. Geno was already lying on the other bed.

"Tell me, Starlow. You never planned to meet Peach in the first place?" Larry asked.

"I thought Peach was the hero/heroine designated by the stars to restore the world. Little did I know that it was never planned to choose her in the first place."

"What do you mean? And why would they choose me?"

"Your father, Bowser, had a contact with the stars because he already met Geno a long time ago. He showed evidences that the Mario World would be in danger and even asked that neither Mario nor he or Peach would be chosen as heroes in fear of being targeted. He wanted someone that no one would suspect to save the world so we looked through the archives and found someone that could match them in term of heart and power: you."

"I think he already planned to choose me in the first place. The other day, Iggy told me about a meeting I was not allowed to attend about transferring powers to each other."

"He could not afford you to know about the plan. Our enemy is able to know a lot about us. He must've chosen you because he trusts you the most."

"Yeah, about that…"

"If it's about the Grassland report, he faked them to invent an excuse to prevent you to go to the meeting during the big day while the arrest request was to keep you somewhere safe."

"How do you know about all of that?"

"Geno told me everything about Bowser's plan. He even planned beyond that by having Iggy be in the Oak's workshop instead of attending to the meeting an another person in a safe place. The mech Iggy was working on might have be a weapon to fight against the culprit. I don't know much about Riley but I'll search through the universal files tonight and I'll get you back on that tomorrow morning."

"Alright then, goodnight y'all."

Larry went to bed while Starlow sat down on the table next to the glasses and emitted a faint blue light from her body.

The next day, Larry woke up before everyone else. He quietly put his shell and clothes back on and snuck outside the room. The sun just started showing up. He walked toward the sea and sat down near it. He looked up in the sky and stared at the cloud formation that was Skyland city. He heard footsteps and turned around to see that Geno was also awake and followed him. The latter sat right next to the koopaling.

"Tell me. Who is Roy?" The puppet asked.

"Roy is one of my big brothers. He is the third to the oldest of my siblings. During the big day, he was sent to the Skyland Tower to represent my dad. And…"

He paused for a moment and stared back at the clouds. A memory went through his mind.

 _It should have been very early in the morning. Bowser's family was sleeping in a room and just visited Skyland. Today, they would travel to Sandland. Larry was still sleeping when he heard someone waking up and walking around in the room. The person who just woke up was making some noise which bothered the sleepers._

" _Let Morton sleep." Morton's voice said._

" _Who's the moron making so much noise?" Wendy voice whispered._

" _Please, I just want to sleep some more before I face this cruel reality again." Iggy's voice begged._

"… _So sleepy…" Lemmy's voice muttered._

" _Vho dares interrupt my slumber?" Ludwig's voice chanted._

 _Larry opened his eyes and saw a silhouette leaving through the door. He got off the bed where he was sleeping with Morton and Wendy and put his shell back on. Unlike the first person, he was very quiet. He did not wake anyone up. He then took his coat from the closet and exited through the door. He was on the second floor and he looked over the railing. He saw a silhouette walking toward the sea. The punk went downstairs and walked to the silhouette. The latter stopped and sat down near the sea. Larry recognized the silhouette to be Roy. His big brother was wearing his purple shell with a purple hoodie and a pair of headphones around his neck._

" _Hi Roy, what are you doing that early there?" Larry asked as he sat next to his big brother._

" _I just wanted to take a last look at the city before we leave. This might be the last time I see it in a long time because of school." Roy answered._

" _Was your first year at school that bad for you?"_

" _Dad grounded me for the next year."_

" _Ouch, what happened?"_

" _I got bad grades. There's nothing else to say."_

" _Maybe I can help." Larry proposed._

" _Ya, help me? Don't make me laugh! Yer four years behind me… Well, now, yer three years. Still, ya can't help me because yer in kindergarten and know nothin' about homeworks. If I needed help with school, I'd ask the nerd but the nerd isn't in the mood to help anyone. Here's a deal: Fix the nerd and I'll stop teasin' ya."_

" _Just tell me how you got bad grades."_

" _Don't bother, Larry. Ya can't do a thing. And don't bother me ever again or I'll make ya regret it." His big brother warned._

" _Roy, I'm trying to help you. Is it because you don't understand something? Is it because you don't spend enough time on your homeworks?"_

 _Roy stood up and grabbed Larry by his coat._

" _Ya don't know where to stop, do ya? When I say don't bother, I mean it! I warned ya." Roy started as he raised his fist._

 _They heard a voice calling from afar. The rest of the family woke up and were ready to have breakfast. Roy let his little brother go._

" _Ya got lucky this time, shrimp. Next time ya try botherin' me, there won't be anyone to save yer sorry shell." Roy warned again._

 _The big brother returned to the motel but Larry stood here for a while. It would not matter for him if he would get beaten up by Roy if he tried to help him._

 _(I don't care that you don't want me to help you, Roy. We're a family. I want to help you. I'll find a way to raise your grades.) He thought before heading back to the motel._

"Roy is a special kind of guy. Everyone think he's just another mindless bully but what people don't see is that he's very easygoing and calm. He likes to tease people but only go too far when someone's looking for trouble. His look also helps to make friend with pretty much anyone." Larry explained.

"I see."

Larry and Geno sat here for a while.

"Larry, may I ask you a favor?" The puppet asked.

"Go ahead." The punk agreed.

"Can you teach me how to feel again?"

"You can't teach anyone to feel. It all comes naturally depending on the current circumstances. Also, what do you mean again?"

"I used to have feelings just like you and Starlow but my hardware got corrupted damaging my emotional capabilities."

"With a problem like that, I'd ask Iggy or Elvin to fix you instead."

"I see, I thank you for leading me to the appropriate individuals that can help me."

"Another thing, how did you meet my dad?"

"It was many years ago. Right after he kidnapped Princess Peach only to be defeated by the Mario brothers, a force known as Smithy took over Amarioca. Mario, Bowser and Peach had no choice but to unite their powers to stop Smithy. I was sent by a superior authority to aid them. That is how I met your father."

"How would you describe him?"

"At the time, he tended to be a tyrant but, over the years, he became a much different person after he adopted you and the other koopalings. He became a very caring man struggling to achieve a dream he never got to live in his youth: a complete family. Alas, he changed once again when he reached it only to lose it. He would blame himself when any of you chose to leave the castle."

"Yeah, I saw that after Junior was born. Speaking of him, what was his plan?"

"There are things I cannot tell you yet. However, I can tell you the following. Bowser had been in contact with Doctor Kraig."

"You know Kraig?"

"Indeed, Bowser presented him to my superior authority. He possessed a vaccine that was the evidence Starlow was referring about to prove that a virus was being developed. Though he may directly work for MOM, his records show no signs of involvement in any form of crimes besides being affiliated with space pirates. The interesting thing about him is that he does not seem to recall any past actions made by the space pirates. Either he was ordered to deny them or it is something else. He had a small quantity of vaccine and Bowser was the one who listed all the people that needed to be vaccinated."

"Why would he protect the kings and queens?"

"To make sure there would be no anarchy due to the loss of a ruler, he needed to make sure he could keep order after the incident by saving the royalties. With all the royalties vaccinated, including the Mario brothers, only three vaccines were left at his disposition. Bowser Jr and his advisor Kamek being already immune, the only other people he wanted to protect was his koopalings."

"That must've been a hard decision."

"You are correct. To make sure he made the right decision, he made a poll to see who his children trusted the most among each other. The results were six for you and one for Ludwig. You were the only one who voted for him. Your family chose you to bear their powers while your siblings met with your father to learn about transferring them."

"Who were the two other koopalings that got vaccinated?"

"I can tell you that your brother Iggy is immune. As for the other one, I cannot tell you until you meet up with him."

Starlow met up with them.

"Alright, I got all the information I could get on the culprit. Riley has been a long running member of Monsters Of Mischief lead by MOM. He's the most dangerous member right before her with an endless list of universal crimes he committed. No one knows where he comes from as he was never recorded anywhere. That's all I could get. I'm sorry." The star sprite explained.

"So you could only get information that we already knew of. Though I'll admit it's interesting that Riley doesn't have any form of record for his past. He must be hiding something from us. What about Kraig?" Larry said.

"Kraig doesn't have a criminal record."

They returned to the motel room where they packed up ready to go.

"Larry, can you hear me?" Iggy's voice spoke.

"I'm here, what's the plan."

"I just woke up and got myself a nice cup of coffee. I think I located you with a map of Amarioca. You must be at the Spiny Motel."

The punk looked outside and looked at the giant sign on the parking lot. It indeed said Spiny Motel.

"Yeah, I'm there." He confirmed.

"Good, there's an airship marina just a few miles northeast of the motel. Let's hope there's a ride you can take to reach the city. Be careful of it. Like you, I saw the airship getting blown up so you'll have to fly into the city's defense system's blind spot to get there without getting gunned down. I'll take a look at the city's schematics to identify all the weaponry the city possesses. Once you get a ride, contact me back and I'll help you slip by the defense system."

"Copy that. Larry out."

The trio put the room's key on the wall of the wall in the reception room and went back on the bike and drove on a road leading to the northeast. They indeed reached an airship marina but they saw no airship here. They got off the bike and walked around. A funny looking lakitu showed up. His skin was purple and he had tall pointy ears on its head, two fangs came out of its mouth pointing upward. He was wearing dense round glasses which prevented anyone to see his eyes. He was floating on a cloud with a smiling face that had round glass eyes. The lakitu saw them and slowly floated toward the group.

"Hey there, how's it going?" The lakitu welcomed.

"Excuse me? I haven't seen a lakitu like you before." Starlow pointed out.

Lakitu usually had yellow skin like typical koopa troopas. Their glasses were not dense enough to conceal their eyes. This guy was certainly an imposter.

"Hey now, no need to question me on that, I'm just blending in the crowd. If you're looking to go to Skyland City, you should reconsider. A new ruler took over and initiated a lockdown on the city which means no one can get in or out without a permission."

"How do you know that?" Geno asked.

"I live there. I was allowed to go here to warn people about the current situation. Though, not everyone listens to me." The lakitu answered.

"Who's the new ruler out of curiosity?" Larry asked.

"He's some kind of big koopa, definitively not a lakitu considering that he doesn't fly on a cloud. Speaking of clouds, he also outlawed clouds with his motto "If I can't fly, no one will." He wears pink shades with his pink head and has a purple spiky shell. He wears a lot of spiky stuff on him too and always makes an unsettling grin." The lakitu replied.

"Let me guess. His name's Roy Orion."

"You guessed right."

"Is there a way I can speak to him?"

"Who are you to want to do that?"

"Tell him that Larry Mulan, an old friend, wants to see him."

"A friend of him? Sure, I can hook you up with him. I have a vehicle ready to go to the city whenever you're ready."

Larry was not satisfied with just that. Though the lakitu would allow him to see Roy, he could not bring himself to trust him yet.

"Tell me. Where are you from?" The koopaling asked.

"I'm from the city. Why do you ask?"

"I can see you're not really a lakitu with those pointy ears. I'm not going to follow you unless you reveal your true identity."

The lakitu got nervous. He was not very good at lying.

"Are you sure you want to see the real me?" The lakitu stuttered.

"Tell me the truth." Larry aggressively asked.

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" The lakitu shouted back.

The koopaling went to him and grabbed him by the shell. The latter was slightly smaller than Larry. In fact, he must have been around Lemmy's height.

"Listen here, you hack. I know you're lying. I don't need to have the Creator's clearance to see that you're a bad liar. Show yourself now!" Larry ordered.

The lakitu chuckled then started laughing maniacally. He pressed on a button inside his cloud and it blew up in smoke.

"Fools! Did you really think I was a mere lakitu!? I see that you are interested to know who I really am! I have travelled through the universe causing chaos on all the planets I visited! I have captured Princess Daisy, an exploit none other could achieve! I have fought against Mario, hero of Amarioca! I am the one and only, the strong and mighty, mysterious spaceman. I AM…" A different voice powerfully spoke.

The smoke started dissipating revealing a small purple bat-like humanoid standing on a flying metallic platform. He was wearing a frilled black uniform and cape but no longer had glasses revealing his black eyes. The humanoid had his arms crossed with his belly leaning forward and was grinning in an unrealistic way. His grin only showed his teeth on the sides while the front of his mouth was closed.

"… TATANGA!" The humanoid concluded.

The trio looked at Tatanga.

"Well, what do you think?" The alien asked.

"You did all of that?" Larry asked.

"I did all of that but it was a long time ago. I'm still trying to relive the glory days." Tatanga sighed.

"Wait! You're THE Tatanga that captured Princess Daisy!? I thought you were way taller than that." Starlow asked.

"Ah yes, people love to exaggerate on those details just to scare themselves."

"If I understand correctly, you were lying about being able to get us in the city." The punk asked.

"No, no, I can still bring you guys in the city. I just need to pose as a lakitu again and create a cloud big enough for us all and we'll be fine." Tatange reassured.

The alien pulled a small metal stick out of his uniform and sprayed a crystalline substance on himself. His uniform turned into a shell like the lakitus would be seen wearing. Glasses appeared on his eyes.

"There, I'm a lakitu again. Now, I just need to contact the king."

He summoned a cloud and searched into it. He pulled out a radio and spoke to it.

"Hello, this is Surface Guy. I got some guy that wants to get to the city… What's his name? Hold on a sec. He said his name's Larry Mulan. He's also accompanied with two other people… You'll let him get to the city? Just Larry? You want me to bring him there? A patrol will check him? Okay, I'll be there in a sec, bye."

The lakitu put the radio back in the cloud.

"Good news, you can enter the city but the bad one is that only Larry can get there." Tatanga explained.

"That won't be much of a problem. In their mind, they must think that the two others you said are living humanoids like me. Starlow can easily hide in my sidepack." Larry planned.

"What about the…" The lakitu started

"He's a puppet. I can pretend to be a ventriloquist and he'll be my puppet."

"Good thinking, they won't see it coming."

Tatanga used a device that made his cloud bigger, allowing Larry and Geno to hop in. Starlow immediately hid in the sidepack. They started floating upward to the city. After a mile, two lakitus on cloud arrived at them and inspected them to make sure only Larry would come to town. They did not suspect that the doll was a person nor did they check the sidepack. It was clear to them: He was alone. The lakitus signaled Tatanga that he could carry on.

"By the way, Larry, how did you know the ruler's name?" Tatanga asked.

"Let's just say that we knew each other for a long time. Can you keep a secret?" The punk replied.

"Shoot."

"We're half-brothers."

"NO WAY!"

"Yeah but I fear for the worse when we'll arrive in the city."


	22. Chapter 5-3

**Chapter 5-3: The king and I**

The group entered the cloud formation through a giant hatch on the side. They landed on a vast metallic platform. Larry had to tell Geno not to make a single move and play the game as it might blow their cover. Starlow stayed inside the sidepack and slightly peeked out of it to see the surroundings. As Larry left the cloudy vehicle, a squadron of lakitus met him. The one in the front was wearing a lieutenant uniform indicating he was leading the small squadron.

"Welcome to Skyland City, Mr. Mulan. The king is expecting you at the town hall right now. Do not, at all cost, go on the surface or to the warehouse district." The lieutenant warned.

The punk noticed something disturbing among the lakitus. They were wearing bandages around their arms and legs. They were also wearing scarves with drawn smiles on them that covered their mouth as if they were forbidden to express anything else besides joy.

"Say, what's with all the bandages you're wearing? You've been into many fights lately?" Larry curiously asked.

"This information is confidential, sir. Your orders are to head to the town hall and meet the king. He will decide the rest for you. Now, get going." The lieutenant impatiently ordered.

Larry brought his doll with him. The lieutenant escorted him through the city. Tatanga, still posing as a lakitu, followed them. Its architecture resembled more like a complex than a city but that was only what the lakitus referred as the "underground". The surface, on the other hand, was an actual city where only the big companies and the rich citizens would reside. The virus wiped everything on the surface but could not reach the underground because it had an innovative ventilation system that drove the gas out of the cloud formation before it could even get in. The town hall was at the frontier between the surface and the underground. As he walked through the city, Larry noticed even more troops having bandages around their limbs. Regular citizens seemed intact save for a few that seemed ill. A few minutes later, after climbing many stairs, they reached the town hall.

"This is it, Mister Mulan. Once inside, go upstairs and enter the doors in front of you. That is where the king is." The lieutenant said before leaving them, along with his squadron.

Larry and his new friend entered the town hall. Unsurprisingly, more troops with bandages were standing guards. These bandages did not look like a clothing standard at all. They were never placed in the exact same places and the troops seemed to be struggling with either staying up or holding their baton. The koopaling went upstairs with Tatanga and knock on the first door he saw in front of him.

"Come in!" An unfamiliar voice spoke.

Larry opened the door and saw his brother Roy sat behind a desk with his legs crossed on it. He was wearing his Halloween costume and he grinned at the punk.

"Take a seat, Larry." Roy told him.

Something seemed odd with Roy's voice. To make sure of his doubt, Larry would have to make him speak. He obeyed the bigger koopaling and took one of the two chairs that were put near the door. His friend took the other chair.

"So, what brings you here, Larry?" His big brother gladly asked.

"I was looking after you. How is it that you stayed here all those days doing absolutely nothing instead of looking for the others!? Have you forgotten that we have a protocol to respect in those kind of situation!?" The punk scolded.

"Relax. There's no need to worry about them. They'll do fine."

"Sure, Morton and Wendy are fine!" Larry furiously and sarcastically replied as he stood up and violently slammed the desk with both hands.

"Hey, watch your tone! I'm the new king of Skyland and I have all the powers here, especially the one to kick you out. Be a good boy and listen to me. The council died during the incident and I was chosen to be the new ruler for the land. I obliged but I can't be confirmed the king unless I get both the crown and the black wand. I already know where the wand is but I want the crown."

"So you want me to get you the crown."

"You thought well, Larry. The wand is pointless because it only gives magical powers not the title of king. I have no idea where the crown could be other than back in the Skyland Tower. I already sent dozens of troops there but none came back not even to tell me that the crown wasn't there."

"I don't think they'll survive if you keep cutting their limbs." The punk pointed out.

"Well, they insisted so much on acting like though guys so I gave them a taste of it."

Larry was disgusted by what Roy told him but he finally realized something after wearing him. First, his voice sounded different. He did not even recognize it in the first place when his big brother told him to come in. Second, this Roy did not have an accent. Roy was known to pronounce his "you" more like "ya", his "your" and "you're" like "yer" as well as skipping on the "g" with words that finished with "ing". To make sure his ears were not deceiving him, Larry pretended to readjust his sunglasses. He pressed on the switch on the left side of his shades and enabled the x-ray vision. He was astonished: Roy's skeleton did not match his body. The current skeleton looked like it belonged to a bigger lakitu but most of them are around the same size with the exception of one. As he reverted to his normal vision, this gave Larry an idea. He would play the imposter's game. He would get the crown for him as well as the wand. He knew that if a non-royalty ever attempted to wield one of the royal artifacts, they would be in for quite a shock. Since he had no choice, he accepted Roy's offer.

"Great, that's more like it. Now, get to work. While you go look for the royal thingies, I'll prepare my coronation." Roy gladly concluded.

The duo left the room and went back outside.

"This guy's clearly and imposter. What's your plan to unmask him?" Iggy's voice said.

"First, I doubt the council's gone. I'll go look after them and I'll bring them to the coronation to give the imposter a nice surprise. Once I get my hand on the crown and the wand, I'll force him to wield the wand first. The wand should reveal his true identity to the public." The punk whispered while holding the right side of his glasses.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?"

"As I said, I need to find the council. They're the one who know where the royal treasures are. I have to sign out or the guards will suspect something."

"Alright, be careful around here. I don't like that imposter and he seems to mistreat the authority figures. Iggy out."

Larry did not have an idea of where to start other than either the surface or the warehouses. The surface would be pointless to explore though since it would be obvious that it was wiped by the virus. The warehouses, on the other hand, would be a better bet. As the duo started walking down the streets, a young lakitu went to see the group.

"Excuse me? Are you the one that just got here?" The lakitu asked.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Larry asked him.

"Well, the ruler has some strange behaviors on a daily basis. By example, he always carries a cart full of food to the warehouse district three times per day. They say that the council did not make it out of the tower but I'm sure the king is hiding something. They won't suspect you for sure."

"Forget it, kid. The king already knows who I am but I have some friends that can help me with that. By the way, why do you insist on helping me?"

"The new ruler is a tyrant. He keeps hurting everyone and he hogs all the food. Every day, the citizens of Skyland City are forced to line up at the town hall to receive barely any food. I want things to change."

"I'll see what I can do, thanks for the lead."

"You're welcome. Goodbye, mister."

Since only Tatanga knew his way around town the best in the group, he led the others to the warehouse district. The park with all the depots was surrounded by a fence with lakitu soldiers standing guard and patrolling inside and outside.

"So, how are we gonna get in there, kid?" Tatanga asked.

"First, we need to study their pattern. Then, I'll go inside with Starlow and Geno. Don't get yourself involved in this. They must not know that you're helping me. Go back to the town hall and keep an eye on the imposter."

The disguised alien nodded and left the group to head back to the town hall. After seeing how the troops were patrolling the area, the punk made his move. As he approached the fence, Starlow told him that she could use her magic to make him phase through the fence. Larry agreed on that and they went through the fence with the help of Starlow's magic. Once inside, they climbed on one of the many depots' roof and looked around to spot for anything suspicious. The courtyard only had more troops so they went looking through the roof windows of the depot they were on. The first depot only had crates that contained various supplies. Why would the ruler want to deliver the supplies from the town hall instead to here where everything already was ready to share? Perhaps he was hiding something and could not afford to have the remaining population of the land to see it. The trio moved onto another rooftop and looked through the window. They saw something highly suspicious inside: it was almost empty save for a single container. The container was also heavily guarded. Cameras were placed all over the container to see everything, a least a dozen of lakitus were standing guard plus floating on clouds and, if it was not enough, laser tripwires took the floor hostage.

"If the council is still around, this must be where the imposter would keep them. With that much security, either they're inside or the black wand is inside. You'll have to find a way to deactivate all the cameras and the tripwires at once without attracting attention. Each depot has its own power source that comes from a power box on the opposite side of the main entrance on the outside. If you can shut down the cameras and the tripwires without turning off the lights, the guards won't suspect a thing." Iggy's voice advised.

The group went at the end of the side where the power box would be. They looked down and saw a rectangular object on the wall below them with a guard stationed near it. Larry sent Starlow to check it out. She stunned the guard with her magic and opened the box and found all the switches that controlled the different appliances in the depot. She flipped some switches and went back to the group.

"There, I deactivated the cameras and tripwires. As for the guards…" Starlow started.

"I have come up with a solution: throw me inside the depot. I will blind them with a powerful flash and you two will neutralize them." Geno proposed.

For all the time he was in Skyland city, Geno kept a more lifeless pose to pretend that he is only a toy to the public sight. They went back to a window on the roof of the depot. The star sprite, like earlier, used her magic to make the doll phase through the glass. The doll fell on the ground near the container. It caught the guards 'attention and they went to check on the object that just fell from above. One of them held the doll.

"GENO FLASH!" The puppet shouted.

It emanated a dim light that suddenly became so strong it blinded all the guards. Larry and Starlow slowly fell in and knocked all of them unconscious. With no more worries, they went checking on the contained. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. The koopaling pulled out his Skelerex Key and picked the lock. When he opened the door, he was shocked to see its content. All the council members were inside. They each had a leg chained after the metallic wall farthest of the door.

"Wait. You're not the Roy imposter." One of the council members said in relief.

"No, I'm here to rescue you guys." Larry replied.

With his trusty Skelerex key, he unlocked the chained bracers that held the members to the wall.

"I am terribly sorry for what happened to your brother, Sir Larry." Another member mourned.

"It's alright. I wasn't expecting him to be alive after I met with the imposter. Anyway, let me present my friends Starlow and Geno."

Larry's friends saluted the members and the latters greeted back.

"They're here to retrieve the black wand to restore the world."

"Ah yes, we have the black wand right here. The imposter put it here with us on the ceiling. It was too high for us and he weakened us so much we were unable to summon our clouds."

The group looked at the ceiling and saw the black wand taped there. The imposter was not very clever. Starlow removed the tape and pulled the wand off the ceiling. One of the council members looked at Larry and noticed his rings.

"Are you, by any means, a king?" he asked.

"Why yes, I'm the Grassland king. If you're worried about the former king, he's ruling over the land in my absence. Listen, the imposter plans to be crowned king but needs the crown. I can expose him but I need to find the crown first. We can't have him be crowned before he holds the wand or my plan won't work anymore." The koopaling answered.

"The crown is in a floor safe hidden under the table in the meeting room in the town hall. I hope the imposter did not learn of it before we can get there." One of the council members said.

"THIS IS THE POLICE! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" An authoritarian voice loudly spoke from outside the container.

"Larry, we're in trouble! What are we gonna do?" Starlow worryingly asked.

Larry looked at the door then back at the council members. He got an idea.

"I doubt they know what lies inside the container. You there, go out here." Larry ordered while pointing a member.

The member was unsure of the plan but took the risk and nodded. He raised his hands and slowly left the container.

"WAIT! IS THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE!? ARE YOU THE ONLY ONE ALIVE!?" The voice spoke.

"No, all of us are inside. We are safe thanks to Larry Koopa and his friends."

The door opened and a lakitu sergeant saw the other council members and Larry and his group. Many soldiers entered the container to escort the council to a more hospitable place to treat them.

"Oh goodness, I didn't know anything about that. Please forgive me for my unawareness." The sergeant apologised.

"What matters right now is to get the crown before the Roy imposter does. Do you have a fast way to get back to the town hall?" Larry said.

Everyone left the courtyard and headed to the town hall on a big cloud. The council members had to hide somewhere to not warn the imposter. If everyone knew that the latter had the council members held captive in the warehouse district, he would abandon the post and completely leave Skyland City. The authorities could not afford to let him escape. The trio headed back to the town hall. In front of it, a stage with a podium was prepared for the coronation of the next ruler. Tatanga was nearby and explained that not much happened besides the preparation. Starlow gave the black wand to the punk while the latter went inside the meeting room. He found the safe under the table and unlocked it with his skills. The crown was lying on a cushion inside it and Larry picked it up. He returned to the stage in front of the building. A few minute later, the imposter arrived on place and a crowd of lakitus was waiting for him to speak.

"Greetings, everyone, today mark the end of the council and the return of a proper family to rule over Skyland. As your new ruler, I will fix all the problems of the city and I will ensure your safety from the dry creatures that now inhabit our land. We will take it back and we'll make it great again! Who's with me?" The imposter delivered.

His speech made the crowd boo him. The imposter got nervous and looked at Larry who was holding the crown and the black wand.

"You there, bring me the crown now. I'm sure they'd listen to me once I officially become king." The big koopa ordered.

"Your highness, I would advise you to take the wand to control the crowd." Larry proposed.

"Yes, good idea, give me the wand instead." Roy said.

The punk handed the ruler the black wand. As the imposter took it, he got violently electrocuted. An explosion of smoke occurred. Once the smoke dissipated, it revealed a slightly-bigger-than-usual lakitu with a black shell instead of the usual red or green shell wearing black bands on his wrists and a scarf with Roy's mouth drawn on it. He was also wearing Roy's shades. The crowd gasped when it saw that Roy was in fact a lakitu posing as him.

"This can't be him!"

"Is that Lakithunder!?"

"You mean the most wanted criminal in Skyland!?"

"How did we get deceived so easily?"

Larry approached the imposter.

"I'll be taking these, thanks." Larry told the lakitu while taking the sunglasses.

Once he got the sunglasses, he stared at them and lost sense of reality. His mind drifted into one of his memories.

 _During the end of spring and the second school year for the koopalings, Larry was walking around the Koopa Castle looking for something to do. He was wearing his coat. He looked at a tree which led his sight to an open window. The window was from Roy's room. True to his words, Roy was grounded for the year. He could not leave his room until he completed his homeworks and, even with that, he had to show them to his father to approve if he did them right. He was also forbidden to receive any friends at home or to go out with friends. Every day of the week, before and after school, he had to stay in his room. He could only come out late in the evening or the weekends. Today was Saturday and he received extra work from school to help him succeed his finals. Larry climbed up the tree and reached the window. He saw that his big brother was still inside trying to do his homeworks. He was facing away from Larry giving the latter a chance to sneak in. The punk slowly entered the room. Though, despite his best efforts to remain sneaky, something grabbed after his coat from the front. He saw Roy who raised him up to his face._

" _I told ya to not bother me, shrimp. Ya have to ignore my warnin' and now there's no one to save yer sorry shell. This time, I'll make ya regret to ever bother me." Roy threatened as he raised his fist ready to punch his little brother._

 _Larry was struggling to break free. He grabbed after Roy's big hand with his and shook his feet trying to break free but Roy was way too strong for the punk. By shaking his feet, he hit a radio that was placed on a shelf next to them._

" _Hey, watch it, shrimp! Ya almost broke it!" Roy scolded._

 _Larry accidentally hit the power button on the radio. The radio started broadcasting some hip hop music. Along with jazz, it was one of Roy's favorite music genres. When he realized that he could not do anything, Larry stopped struggling and accepted his fate. He closed his eyes. He waited for a few seconds but…_

 _Nothing happened. Larry opened his eyes a little and saw his big brother's head slowly beating to the music's rhythm. It did not only hypnotize him. It also…_

" _Wait! I think I got it!" Roy randomly said._

 _The big koopaling put down his little brother and went back to his desk._

" _If I do this… and that… and then… YES! I got it!" Roy said, excited._

 _He stood up and went to see his brother. He took him in his big arms._

" _Lad, yer a genius! How did ya figure that out?" He asked._

" _I'm not sure what you're talking about?" Larry asked, confused._

" _Ya just showed me that I never had an actual problem with homeworks or understandin' them. It was all about focus and motivation. Ya did it, lad! I'll have to show my work to dad! Leave from the window. He must not know that ya were there."_

 _Larry nodded while his big brother put him down and left the room by the window. He climbed down the tree and went to the main entrance. He was just in time to see Roy showing his work to Bowser._

" _Dad, dad, I finished my homeworks!"_

" _Alright, let's see… Okay… Good… I'm impressed. You were able to not only complete it by yourself but you also did it on your first try. You're free for the rest of the day but don't get too cocky. You still have a lot of progress to make and there are still many obstacles ahead. Keep up the good work, our boy." The father complimented as he petted his cool son._

 _The king left to the corridor behind the throne. Roy looked at the entrance saw his little brother and went to him._

" _It worked, lad! Now, how bout we play some football outside!" The big koopaling proposed._

" _Yay!" Larry cheered._

" _Also, ya earned these for today."_

 _Roy took off his glasses and put them on his little brother. His eyes were shaped just like Wendy's but they were brown instead of blue and they did not have eyelashes. Larry was fascinated by his eyes. He never saw them before._

" _Roy… Your eyes… They're beautiful." He stuttered._

" _I know, lad. I still prefer to wear sunglasses though." Roy simply said._

 _His big brother picked him up and put him on his shoulder. They left through the main entrance._

Larry snapped out of it and put Roy's shades in his sidepack. He looked back at the lakitu who used to pose as Roy. He took the scarf and looked behind it. He saw a fried chip. This was how he could assume Roy's appearance. He looked at Lakithunder again, who was weakened from holding the black wand, and raised his fist. Larry was more than just angry. He wanted pain and a lot of it. Suddenly, he blacked out.

He woke up in a bedroom. He realized that he was in Roy's house in Skyland. He looked around him and saw Starlow sitting down on the table next to bed where Larry was lying down.

"I'm sorry, Larry. I was afraid of what you'd do to Lakithunder so I knocked you unconscious. I still remember how you punched Sergeant Guy for taking Morton's house for a rebel hideout. I couldn't bring myself to imagine what you would've done to someone who posed as someone you love." Starlow apologised.

"Thanks, Starlow, you don't need to be sorry. I would've gone too far. You were right to stop me. Where are the others?"

"Tatanga's playing with your sunglasses in the living room while Geno's with the council talking about our plans."

Larry got off the bed and walked toward the living room. He saw Tatanga, who was no longer posing as a Lakitu, standing in front of a mirror wearing his sunglasses and he was holding the right side.

"So, who's on the other side?" Tatanga asked.

"Hello, I'm Larry's brother, Iggy! I'm pleased to meet you. I read a lot about you, Mister Tatanga, about how you captured Daisy. What an exploit, it must've been hard. She's not the kind of princess who'll let herself be taken that easily. She once punched someone so hard that the latter flew to the moon."

"Thank you, but since your one of Larry's brothers, does he tend to be that aggressive and violent?"

"He values his family a lot more than any of us do at a point he's very overprotective. I saw how he was about to punch Lakithunder but that's the least he did. He once performed a roundhouse kick on a bully that hurt Bowser Jr. He also unleash his signature move, a powerful dropkick, on a wiggler that was harassing Lemmy. He always stands up for me and the others but I'm afraid he might get himself hurt."

"In other words, he's selfless."

"Indeed, he fears to be seen as selfish because it reminds him of what he used to be before Bowser Jr was born."

"I see. What did he do to be ashamed of himself?"

Larry wanted to interrupt the conversation. He did not want anyone else to know that he used to work as a spy and all the bad things he did back then. However…

"Why don't you take the bull by the horns?" An unwelcome voice spoke.

The punk looked back inside the bedroom and saw the same silhouette that appeared back in Woodland.

"What do you want?" The koopaling asked.

"The king's dead and you're letting his son take over? Having been you, I would've ditched him and claimed the throne. It's so pathetic to see you run around Amarioca to try to save what you call a family that it becomes entertaining for me. You got lucky for Iggy but not for Roy. The one here appeared to be an imposter. I would've never known that but I would've cared anyway. I can't wait for that Riley guy to destroy what's left of your so-called family. Maybe it'll bring back some sense into you…"

The silhouette vanished in the same fashion as before: fading away and leaving malicious laughers behind. Larry got terrified. He then noticed that Starlow was still on the table, looking at him.

"Larry, are you alright?" She asked.

"I don't know. I'm starting to see things."

"Once we finish our missions here and go back to the Mushroom Castle, I'll check your mind while you'll sleep."

Someone knocked at the door. Larry went answering. When he opened the door, a council member holding the black wand was standing there along with Geno.

"Mister Larry, I want you to have the black wand. I was told by your friend here that you were able to fuse them." The council member said as he handed Larry the wand.

"I can but I need to know where the real Roy is."

"Roy did not make it out of the Skyland Tower, I'm sorry to tell you that. On a side note, Starlow explained to us why she knocked you unconscious back at the town hall. We are willing to let you land a single punch on Lakithunder before you go to the Skyland Tower."

"Are you sure about that? I was about to go too far."

"Yes, Lakithunder has committed many of the most serious crimes here. The citizens will be watching you punch him."

Larry followed the council member back to the town hall. The imposter was tied on a chair standing in front of a crowd. The punk delivered his strongest punch right on Lakithunder's cheek. It was however so strong that it rendered the victim unconscious. The crowd cheered loudly.

"Whoops, maybe I went a little too far." The koopaling said, embarrassed.

The council reassured him that the criminal would go through much worse. Larry met up with his friends and got his sunglasses from Tatanga.

"Alright, I have one more thing to do. I must go to the Skyland Tower." He explained to his friends.

"I have a ship to get us there." The alien proposed.

It was settled. They headed back to the docks and saw a strange-looking metallic vehicle. They hopped in and Tatanga started the engine. They flew off the dock through the giant hatch and headed toward a tower in the distance, the Skyland Tower.


	23. Chapter 5-4

**Chapter 5-4: Roy Koopa**

Since the way to the tower was long, the group had time for some chatting.

"Tatanga, you kinda look familiar to me." Larry started.

"Well, as I said to you, I was the only one who managed to capture Daisy." The alien proudly replied.

"No, not like that, I remember one of my siblings was playing an old video game with a character looking a lot like you."

"What are you talking about, kid? I don't think anyone would make a video game about me."

"Thing is it wasn't about you. I don't remember the game's name though."

"Just forget it, kid. It's going off-subject."

"So, how is it that you are not behind the bars like any other criminal?" Starlow asked.

"…"

"Mister Tatanga, what's wrong?"

"It's an embarrassing story. Truth is that I never really kidnapped Daisy. It was in my plans to capture her and marry her but, as soon as I arrived to her castle, she did not fight back like I would expect. She told me I was too adorable to be a villain and decided to spend time with me. Off course, she had to make it look like a kidnapping to make me believe I was actually taking her hostage. When Mario intervened, he beat me and I was arrested. The case was however lifted the same day I was standing trial. Can you believe that!? I'm a villain, not some adorable bat boy like Daisy would call me!" The wingless bat humanoid explained.

"Daisy has some strange way to do things." Geno said.

"After the case was lifted, she went to see me again and confessed that she loved another man. I did not want to take her from that man so I left. Years later, I met the Space Federation."

"You met the Space Federation, the same organisation that was supposed to meet the Mario World during the big day?" Geno asked.

"Yes, I joined the Space Federation a few years ago. I was sent here for the big day you were mentioning but some giant ship shot my ship down and I crashed near Skyland. Some lakitus brought me to the city but I had to disguise myself in fear that the giant ship was still after me."

"Why would someone outside of the Mario World want to hunt you down?"

"I'm not sure about that."

"But you said that you brought chaos on many other planets."

"I was just inventing stuff to try to scare you all. The only thing I received before getting shot at is a warning message from their captain."

"Do you still have the message stored in your ship?"

"Why yes, I can play it for you."

Tatanga pressed a button on his dashboard. The speaker delivered a pre-recorded message to the passengers and the driver in the ship. They recognized the voice too well.

"That voice, It was Riley." The punk claimed.

"What are you talking about again, kid? And don't bring it like that video game thing." Tatanga said.

"No, he's the guy who caused the incident. All the dry creatures you saw, it was all his doing."

"Sheesh, and I though he was just some punk trying to have his own fun by messing with others. Well, we're here now. What's the plan, kid?"

"I'm going inside with Starlow. You two stay here. I shouldn't be here for too long."

"Okay, I guess. Before you leave, I wanna tell you that I got the network code for your shades."

"YOU WHAT!?"

"Relax, kid. Your brother gave me permission so if you get into trouble, just contact me."

Larry nodded and left the ship, along with Starlow. He himself found that he overreacted when Tatanga told him that he could now communicate with him from his ship. It made him glad shortly after. The duo entered the tower. No source of light was available inside so the koopaling had to enable the night vision on his sunglasses. He saw a few dry creatures broken into fragments but most others had only fallen apart with no sign of violence.

"That's strange. How can someone beat a dry creature without breaking it?" Iggy's voice asked.

"I only know one person that can do that and I'm sure he's still here." Larry replied.

"Since you're in the Skyland Tower, could you check something for me please?" Starlow brought up.

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"We need to go to the basement."

"I doubt Roy will be there but we can still check."

The duo went downstairs. There, only a single door stood place. For some unknown reason, it was locked. Larry picked the lock with his Skelerex key and went in. The room inside was out of the ordinary. Plenty of shelves were placed in the room surrounding a podium holding a giant book. The punk took some book off the shelves to examine it. They appeared to be books full of lyrics for songs or only rhymes. He then took a look at the big book. He opened on the last page and saw a name: Ronald Bullsworth Stylean.

"We stumbled into the stylean history. They had the most powerful air force of all the lands excluding the two kingdoms. That last name must have been Roy's true name. Slylean tend to explain their history through songs to also express the dynamic and emotions of their story." Starlow explained

"That's very interesting! Do we all have a history like that?" Iggy's voice asked.

"Indeed, I read through your memories before we left for Skyland and saw that you stumbled across a grimoire back in the Woodland Oak."

"Yes, it was all written in calculus and formulas. I tried to understand them but the only thing I could decrypt was the last formula that equated to this: Ignatius Howard Mechean."

"This is your true name. Mecheans used calculus to explain their history in a more technical way. They were also the undebatable kings and queens of technology advancement before they almost went extinct by King Boo's doing."

"I hate to interrupt you guys but we have a dry koopa to find." Larry brought up.

Starlow nodded at him and they went back upstairs. The tower, like the Woodland Oak, had a similar structure. They both had spiral stairs to change between floors but the tower was made of stone instead of wood. Larry and Starlow reached the second floor and saw more lifeless bones. This time, however, they also saw a silhouette in the distance spreading an orange gas on some dry creatures. The gas caused the monsters to become lifeless and fall apart.

"It seems like the weapon is working as intended. It's interesting that these skeletal monsters do not ride on clouds like their living counterparts. I wonder what gives them the power to summon these." A voice echoed through the practically empty room.

The duo went to the silhouette. Hearing the footsteps, the latter turned around and saw them. It was Kraig. He was wearing a backpack made of two cylindrical canisters filled with an orange substance this time.

"Ah, Larry, I have heard about your father recently. I am terribly sorry for what happened to him. I should have seen that coming that Riley would attempt to bypass my vaccine." Kraig mourned.

"Listen, I know you're sincere with me. Don't blame yourself for this. I wasn't expecting him to have found a way around it to be frank. Speaking of him and your vaccine, do you know how he succeeded to make it worthless?" Larry said.

Kraig sat down and looked into his backpack. He pulled a small canister with a blue-purple liquid inside and handed it to the punk.

"What's this?"

"It's an improved version of the bio-chemical weapon. Riley took the original one and mixed it up with one of the most dangerous disease known in the universe."

"What disease can allow this to infect vaccinated people?"

"He used one that can destroy the immunity system."

"That's horrible! That has to be the most immoral thing to ever do!" Starlow furiously shouted.

Larry noticed that the crocodile seemed to be in a bitter mood. Bowser's demise may have affected him but something else must be the cause of his current mood. He let out a frustrated sigh.

"Kraig, you seem to be concerned about something. Are you alright?" The punk asked.

"Do you have some time today?" The scientist asked back.

Larry and Starlow looked at each other. They were on a mission to find Dry Roy but they were curious to hear what Kraig had to say. They looked back at him and nodded.

"Also, I don't think I've ever seen you before." The crocodile told to the star sprite.

"My name is Starlow." The star sprite said.

"My name is Kraig. So… Riley is…" Kraig started.

He paused for a while while closing his eyes. He took some deep breath and suddenly stopped. He opened his mouth and was about to tell what he had been keeping secret from Larry since he met him in Sealand but…

The group heard a screech. It came from above, on the rooftop. They went upstairs. There were more dry creatures but they avoided them and kept climbing more stairs until they reached the top floor. The top floor did not have a ceiling or any walls exposing it to the outside. They saw a dry creature, different from anything the tower inhabited, standing with its arms wide open.

"Is that Roy?" Starlow asked.

"It has to be. This dry creature looks a lot like him." Larry replied.

They approached the dry creature. They heard what they thought seemed like sand moving until they looked back at the stairs from where they came from and saw all the bones flying.

"Look out! It's coming right at us!" Kraig yelled as he ducked.

Larry ducked too while Starlow flew low. Once they reached the top floor, all the bones and dry creatures that were inside the Skyland Tower flew around the lonesome dry creature. They then all gathered together and formed a skeletal dragon. The dragon started flapping its wings to take off.

"Larry, we can't let it escape! We absolutely need his power!" Starlow reminded Larry.

"Don't worry. I'm not planning to let him go." The punk said.

The koopaling grabbed after the dragon's tail right before the skeletal mutant had time to completely leave the tower. He started climbing up the tail but he was pulling bones very easily. He realized that the monster was falling apart in an attempt to make him fall.

"Larry, I can keep the monster in piece but it'll require me to use all my energy." Starlow proposed.

"Get in my side pack and don't move from here. You must not get hit." Larry ordered.

The star sprite nodded and went into the sidepack. It started glowing into a sky blue light, same for the dragon. Larry was finally able to climb on the dragon's back. There, he saw Dry Roy taking control of the dragon.

"Larry, you have to bring the dragon on a safe ground before you attempt anything on Roy." Iggy's voice said.

The punk was not sure how he would do that until…

"Hey, kid, do you see the giant dragon in the sky?" Tatanga's voice asked.

"I see it up close. Hey, Tatanga, do you think you can pull the dragon to somewhere for a landing?" The koopaling proposed.

"Sure thing, I have a grapple cannon on my ship. I'll be there in a sec."

Larry went toward the core. The core saw him and tried to punch him. The punk took the arm and threw the core on the dragon's back. The impact caused the dragon to violently drop in altitude. He heard an engine sound and looked toward the source. Larry saw Tatanga's ship. The ship fired a grapple attached to a steel cord. Though it missed the dragon, Larry was able to catch it and attach it around the dragon's neck. Everything was set. All they had to do was pull the bone mutant somewhere safe. However, the dragon proved to be more problem than it seemed as it pulled back resisting the ship's strength.

"Argh, I can't drag it anywhere! Kid, can you do something about that?" Tatanga's voice asked.

"Sure thing, I'll…" The punk started.

"Larry, my powers are almost completely drained. You have to hurry." Starlow's voice warned.

At the same time, the core stood up and tried to punch Larry. The latter blocked the attack but had to do many things quick before he worst would happen. As the core punched, the bone mutant dashed toward the ship.

"Woah! Easy there, that was too much!" Tatanga's voice said.

"Larry, I think I understand how this dragon works. If Dry Roy moves toward a direction the dragon will follow his movements. You should try to punch the core toward Skyland City. The surface's full of wide highway to allow a safe landing." Iggy's voice explained.

Before he could take care of Roy, he thought about something that could hold the dragon together allowing Starlow to rest. He summoned his four-stone wand and stuck it between the bones in the bone mutant. The wand spread its magic all over the dragon preventing it to fall apart.

"Thanks, Larry. I feel very tired and I need some rest." Starlow's voice said.

Since he did not pay attention to the core, the latter punched Larry, sending him to the tail. The dragon retaliated too. The punk grabbed after the tail and pulled himself back up.

"Alright, Tatanga, I'm about to punch the core a lot. Get ready for the momentum." Larry said through his sunglasses.

"Got it, kid!"

The koopaling went toward the core and unleashed a flurry of punches. The many hits the core was taking caused the dragon to move forward. Thanks to this, Tatanga was able to pull the dragon closer to the city.

"We're almost there, kid. Just a few more punches and we should be able to bring it down on a highway." The alien's voice told to Larry.

The core, however, attached itself to the dragon then forced it to flip upside down. Larry had to grab after some bones to keep some grip and not fall off. He pulled himself toward the core but the latter had the upper hand for fighting him. Larry saw that the core was about to punch him. He blocked the punch then grabbed after the arm to get behind the core. Once behind, he stood up on the dragon, still holding after the core, and put all his strength to pull it upward and backward. The dragon was forced to dive into the city.

"Careful, kid! You're about to crash on a highway! Pull up… I mean push down!" Tatanga's voice warned.

"Release your grapple. I got this." Larry reassured

Just before he hit the ground, Larry pulled the core sideway to force the dragon to roll. The bone mutant hit the highway and slid on it. Many dry creatures were walking on the highway and got destroyed when the dragon slid onto them. The punk then turned the wand back into his silver ring. The dragon was falling apart all over the highway. The tremendous impact shattered many bones that used to be part of the dragon. It then stopped after sliding hundreds of meters away from its landing spot. In the end, a few bones were scattered around Larry and Dry Roy. They both stood still staring at each other. The monster was intact but he could no longer use his powers to summon another bone mutant.

"Alright, Roy, you put up a good fight but even our boy needs to know when to stop." Larry said.

He took off Roy's sunglasses from his sidepack and put them on the core. The core reacted as soon as the sunglasses were put on its nose.

"Larry…" It whispered.

The core then illuminated, blinding the punk. A memory made its way through Larry's mind.

 _Over the years, Roy started succeeding at school. He even took night and summer classes which was odd for someone like him because he was already good at school. Nevertheless, this proved to be quite efficient because not only did he catch up with his first bad year. He was also able to finish a year sooner than expected in the very beginning. After school, Roy started his own business, Roy's Smooth Sounds. He moved from the Koopa Castle to a house in Skyland City on the surface. It was a few days after the third year of peace between the kingdoms. Bowser was helping Roy moving his stuff. Larry was also with them to help. It was near twelve' o'clock and they just finished unloading the truck._

" _Kids, I'll go get some food for lunch at the first restaurant I see. You two start taking the stuff out of the boxes, okay?" Bowser said._

 _Bowser left the house. Larry started opening some boxes but noticed that Roy sat down on the floor. He went seeing his big brother._

" _Roy, we need to work." Larry said._

" _I know but I wanted to yell ya this for a long time: Yer the real MVP."_

" _Listen, That problem you had with homeworks had a simple solution. Eventually, you would've discovered it yourself."_

" _Pfah! At least, ya solved it way earlier than I would've found it. Don't think ya did nothin' just because the solution was simple. It's about takin' care of it as soon as it happens."_

 _Larry stood there for a moment but went back at opening boxes. He heard Roy slowly standing up._

" _C'mere, lad!" Roy's voice said._

 _Just like that, an arm went around Larry's neck and the next thing he knew was that he was being held. Then, something rubbed hard on his head messing up his hairs._

" _Roy, you're ruining my hairs." Larry said while he was trying to break free._

" _C'mon, lad! I'm just teasin' ya! Besides, ya can just comb those hairs back!" Roy laughed._

 _Though the teasing could have been mean-spirited, Larry laughed along with his big brother. They may not have done much to prepare the house while their father was away but they had their own moment together._

"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH! MY BOY! WASSUP! HA HA HA!"

The light faded away and Larry found himself in the same situation as in his memory. This time, however, he did not mind that his hairs were ruined. He was too glad to see the real Roy again. His big brother, a ghost, put him down.

"Look at ya, all grown up!" Roy complimented as he tapped Larry's back with his hand.

"I wasn't away for too long, just a few days." Larry said.

"I know but ya look way more mature wearin' these than anything else. Having known ya better earlier, I would've never bullied ya for the sake of bullyin' which reminds me…"

"I know, you're sorry for how you treated me back at the orphanage."

"What did ya expect? Even a tough guy like me can have regrets."

Roy sat down on a pile of bones. His spectral body started emitting particles of light. He noticed them and lowered his head.

"Even a tough guy like me has to go." He quietly said.

"I'm sorry, Roy." Larry replied while tears flooded the bottom of his eyes.

"Even a tough guy like me can cry."

Roy took off his sunglasses and Larry saw that his big brother was crying too.

"Here's a little somethin' for ya, lad. Make good use of it for me." Roy said as he handed Larry a light orb that went into him.

As the big brother slowly vanished, the little one waved goodbye at him.

"My time is up! Yer time is now! Ya can't see me but I'll be watchin' ya, bro!" Roy's voice echoed.

Larry sat down on a pile of bones. Starlow slowly peeked out of the sidepack, still tired.

"Did we do it?" She tiresomely asked.

At the same time, Larry's silver ring and the black wand inside his sidepack started glowing. He took out the wand and turned his ring into the four-stone wand. The two wands merged together to create a new wand with five stones on it. He turned it into a silver ring that went on his finger. He heard someone panting and looked behind to see Kraig exhausted of chasing him all the way here.

"Finally, I caught up with you!" The crocodile panted.

He sat down right to the punk. Starlow fell back in the sidepack and asleep.

"I have something important to give you, here." He told Larry while handing a needle filled with a pink liquid.

"What's this?" The koopaling asked while putting it inside his sidepack.

"It's a new vaccine I've been working on. It contains a rare ingredient that is the only one that can protect anyone from the material Riley used in his new weapon. I only have one with me but I'm currently synthetizing more in secret."

"Why don't you inject it into me right now?"

"I'm giving you the choice on who you want to use it. Just make sure not to regret your decision."

A ship landed next to them. Tatanga and Geno got off the ship and met up with the others.

"Kid that was the coolest fight I've ever seen in my life!" The bat boy congratulated.

"Indeed, your tactics allowed all of us to take down the dragon in a record time and with no harm." Geno complimented.

"That voice, are you Geno?" Kraig asked to the doll.

"Yes, I took control of this doll to integrate myself among the livings. It has been a long time since our last meeting, Doctor Kraig."

"Wait! You know that guy!?" Tatanga asked.

Kraig spent a few minutes to explain who he was and what he did before telling them what he wanted to tell Larry and Starlow back in the Skyland Tower. Even if Tatanga was the only one who never met the scientist before, the others did not mind to hear it again while Kraig was pleased to present himself again. Though, Kraig's good mood quickly vanished.

"I'm not proud to confess this right now but… Riley and me… We're half-brothers." He confessed.

Everyone was shocked to hear that from him. How could a gentle giant like him be the half-brother of a psychotic degenerate like Riley? It must have been a mistake. Surely, there must have been a good reason why the two of them ended up together.

"So that's what you've been hiding from me since we last met in Sealand." Larry said.

"Yes, I was directly told by him to keep it a secret but I don't care anymore." Kraig continued.

"What happened between you and Riley?" Geno asked.

"After my trip in Sealand, I went back on Riley's ship to report my studies on his bio-chemical weapon. When I met him he told me that he renamed Bowser. At this point, I knew exactly what he did to him. I called him out for that but he changed. He no longer was the brother that I knew and loved. He became a monster. He tried to make me pity him but I saw it in his eyes. I ignored him and immediately went to the laboratory to make a vaccine against his newly improved weapon. He knew that I would try to improve on my vaccine so he improved on his weapon just to kill more people." Kraig continued.

Kraig started crying. Geno put his hand on the crocodile's back to comfort him.

"How was your relationship with him before the dispute?" Larry asked.

"While it was not the best relationship in the universe, I had many fond memories with him. That all changed after our dispute. I realized that all these moments with him were just a bunch of lies, that he was pretending."

"Wait, wait, and wait! How are you and Riley brothers!?" Tatanga asked.

"We were adopted by MOM. Listen, everyone. I'm sorry to leave you so soon like that but I must return on Riley's ship. I have an important meeting with MOM and him."

Everyone nodded. Kraig then disappeared in an orb of blue light that went high in the sky until it vanished.

"Larry, I have some interesting information I just gathered while reading Kraig's memories. Do you give me permission to reveal them?" Geno brought up.

"What kind of information?" Larry asked.

"It seems that his memory possesses many holes as if someone had been erasing some of his memories on purpose."

"That seems like something Riley would do to him."

"It might be but I have more than just that. Right after those memory holes, Riley would always be the person that would restore parts of Kraig's memories. Perhaps Riley cares for him but we do not see it. He seemed very worried in them."

"I doubt it but it might be true at the same time. Let's go back to the town hall and renew the peace treaty. Then, tomorrow, we'll plan our next move."

The group returned to the town hall. Larry handed the peace treaty renewal to the council and a feast was organized to celebrate the liberation of Skyland City. Peach and Junior came to the feast via pipeline. Junior brought some papers and pencils. Larry looked at the papers and saw that they were homeworks to prepare him to become a king. Kamek chose to take a different approached in teaching Junior about being a king by inspiring his work from standard homeworks from school. The punk also heard a conversation between Geno and Tatanga.

"So, how is it that everyone knew about Kraig while I did not? This guy comes from outer space like me but I never heard of him at all."

"He is very secretive about who he meets. He does not necessarily talk to everyone he meets."

"Can we really thrust him? He works directly for the guy that destroyed the world."

"My superior authority had its doubt like you but, after many researches and observations, it deemed Kraig to be trustworthy."

"I hope you're right. People like him are the one most likely to backstab us."

"I am aware of the risk but it is one that I and some others are willing to take to have a step ahead of our enemies."

As usual, Larry would eat the content of an entire table. After the feast, he returned to the Mushroom castle and went speaking to Iggy. Everyone else returned to the castle and Tatanga followed the group and stayed in the same room as Popple and the inkling boy. Curiously enough, the inklings did not come back from Woodland.

"Wow, that's what you were talking about when you freed Morton and Wendy. I never thought Roy actually was that nice. I was too concerned about myself at the time to realize that." His big brother said.

"How are you holding up now?" Larry asked.

Even if Larry fixed Iggy's problem, he feared that it might happen again. He wanted to make sure that whatever happened to his big intelligent brother once would not happen twice.

"I'm fine, thanks for worrying about me, bro. It's getting late tonight. I'll go to sleep." Iggy yawned.

Larry wanted to tell his big brother about Geno's problem but he abstained himself since Iggy was getting tired. The two brothers went to their bedroom. Junior and Kamek were already sleeping. As Larry went to his bed, Starlow came out of the sidepack and sat down on the table next to Larry's bed. She was well awake but still wanted to sleep some more.

"Tell me when you're ready for the mind check." She whispered with her eyes shut.

The punk lied down in his bed but remained awake. He stared at the sidepack for a few minutes until he decided to pull the needle out of it. He examined the pink liquid. He was given the ultimate defense against Riley but who should he use it on? Common sense would tell him to vaccinate himself since he was the one that would confront Riley. He then put his sight on his libra. Protecting his libra was also a top priority for the punk. He got off his bed and snuck to Junior's bed while holding the needle. He pulled away the blanket to reveal the future king's neck and looked for a vein. When he found one, he aimed the needle at it and slowly trusted it into the vein. His little brother started quietly moaning in pain. To reassure him, Larry caressed his head with his other hand.

"Shhhh, it's just a bee sting. Don't worry, my libra, the bee is gone." He whispered in his ear.

Larry then pressed on the needle to inject the pink liquid inside Junior. Once the needle became empty, He pulled it back and put the blanket back on Junior's neck.

"It's for your own good, Junior. I can't afford to lose you to this disgusting infection." Larry continued whispering.

He went back to his bed, hid the needle back in his sidepack and went to sleep.

"Alright, Starlow, you can start the mind check." He whispered before falling asleep.

 **END OF ACT 5**


	24. Chapter 6-1

**ACT 6: FROZEN**

 **Chapter 6-1: A History Lesson**

" _ **Wake up, Larry!" A familiar voice joyfully spoke.**_

 _ **Larry opened his eyes and stood up. He found himself in front of his brother Lemmy. He did not have his ball with him. Lemmy would often stand on a ball most of the time to be around the same height as most of his siblings or taller. They were in a snowy forest. A few snow was falling from the trees and the sky.**_

" _ **Lemmy, I'm glad to see you!" Larry cheered.**_

" _ **Let's play hide and seek!" Lemmy proposed.**_

 _ **The tiny koopaling ran away laughing. Larry leaned on a tree and covered his eyes. He counted to ten to let his brother enough time to find a hiding spot.**_

" _ **Ready or not, here I come!" Larry warned.**_

 _ **He looked around the trees but he could not find Lemmy. He did not bother to look upward. Lemmy would not bother to climb them. It would take too long to hide in a tree. Larry kept searching and found a cabin. He entered the cabin and looked around. This small building made of wood did not have much other than an armchair facing a fireplace and a closet next to the door. It served more as a place to heat up before going back outside.**_

" _ **Tee hee hee! He'll never find me here." Lemmy's voice giggled.**_

 _ **Larry pretended that he did not hear him. He looked at the closed closet and walked around it.**_

" _ **Gee, Lemmy, you sure are the hide and seek champion. I give up. I'll just rest in that closet over there." Larry sarcastically said.**_

 _ **He went to the closet and opened the door. He looked inside and got terrified when he found a dry creature.**_

" _ **You found me, Larry. Now you hide!" The dry creature said in a distorted Lemmy voice.**_

 _ **The monster grabbed after Larry and bit him. Blue flames appeared all over the punk while the creature was laughing. The flames blinded Larry.**_

"Larry, wake up!" A voice called.

Larry opened his eyes and saw Starlow.

"Those nightmares are becoming more intense. You're moving much more in your bed after every nightmare." She said.

"Did you find anything in my mind?" Larry asked.

"About that, I can't seem to access your mind. Something's preventing me to check your mind. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. I doubt it'll affect us in any way. I had a dream where I met Lemmy. I'll go talk to Iggy then we'll head out to Iceland."

The star sprite nodded and left the room. The punk got off his bed and noticed that Kamek was also in the room preparing some homeworks for Junior.

"Kamek, do you remember where Bowser's father was?" He asked.

"I'm sorry again, Larry. It has been a long time I did not see him." The magikoopa apologised.

The koopaling left the room and headed downstairs. He went to the laboratory. Once he got there, he saw that Iggy was now wearing black pants with a red shirt which he tucked the sleeves up to his elbows and left it unbuttoned, revealing a silver necklace around his neck. His pet Chompy was sleeping in a basket near his office. Elvin, Iggy and Geno were having a conversation.

"I beg your pardon but Larry told me that you might be able to help me with a particular problem." Geno started.

"I'm not good at fixing puppets, you know, unless you're a mechanical one." Iggy said.

"No, I am in fact a star sprite that is taking over that puppet you see in front of you. I am a machine. My emotional capabilities had been severely damaged by a hardware corruption causing to lose the ability to feel. Though my superior authority would fix this problem himself, he decided to give me permission to allow an outsider to take a look at it." Geno replied.

"Wow, I'll get to examine a star sprite up close! I thought that you guys were very secretive about that kind of stuff." Iggy continued, excited.

"Ah yes, I think we can help you with your problem." Elvin answered.

At the same moment, Starlow went back to Larry.

"Excuse me, Larry. Do you know where I can find Geno?" She asked.

As she was asking Larry about her partner, she overheard what was going on inside the laboratory. She got furious and rushed in.

"Geno! What are you doing!?" She screamed.

"Starlow, I have received permission from…" Geno started.

"Your superior authority would never allow you such thing!" She abruptly interrupted.

A dispute went on between the two star sprites. Larry decided to interfere.

"Stop! I told Geno that he could see Iggy to fix his problem." He brought up.

"Larry, how did you know about that!? You're not supposed to share that with anyone!" Starlow replied.

"Starlow, can we speak in private?"

Larry and Starlow went in a quieter place. They went outside near a manhole placed next to the river flowing under the bridge.

"Larry, what do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm trying to help Geno getting himself fixed so I told them that Iggy might be able to fix him."

"You're not supposed to do that! It's his superior authority's task, not anyone else!"

"Have you heard Geno? His higher authority gave him permission to ask the help of anyone. I'm sure he would've proved it to you if you didn't cut him while he was speaking."

"Geno's a defunct model! He can intentionally lie to get to his own ends! He's struggling to follow the rules because of his corrupted hardware so that's why I'm here with him!"

"Thanks for telling me that his problem's far more severe than just a feeling issue."

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL THAT TO ANYONE!"

"Then why is his authority letting him loose like that if he's such a liability? Why didn't it fix him or send someone else at least instead of sending him with his problem?"

"It's his last task. Afterward, his superior authority will scrap him."

"Listen, Starlow. I'm not heading out until someone's checking on his problem. Understood?"

"Larry, no one's gonna check his problem! I won't allow an outsider, even if it's either one of your siblings or a royal scientist, to uncover some of the stars' secrets! It's my task to prevent that to ever happen!"

"Remember the deal we made when we first met?"

"Don't you dare turn your back on me, Larry! We only have two wands left to get and you have two siblings to check! Besides, it'll be impossible for you to find your siblings without stumbling across the wands! They're nearly at the same places!"

"Yes I can."

"Prove me!"

"It's simple. I won't go look after them. I'll stay here at the castle. I. Give. Up."

"ARE YOU NUTS!? RILEY'S AFTER THEM, YOU BRAINLESS IDIOT TURTLE!"

"Exactly, he's always a step ahead of my game so it's pointless to look after my siblings when he can reach them much sooner than I can and turn them into dry creatures right away." Larry bluffed.

Starlow did not know what to say. Larry felt that he hit a sore spot and pressed onward.

"On a side note, Kamek knows who has the royal koopa artifact is but doesn't remember where. Do you think Geno can read his memory to reveal its location?" He brought up.

"No, I won't! I know it's an excuse just to learn more about drakoopas and I won't disobey the stars! My loyalty is to them, not…"

The star sprite suddenly stopped. She was lost in her words. She did not know what to say anymore.

"Starlow, are you so loyal that you would keep Geno as a broken lifeless puppet only to be ditched by his higher authority?" Larry calmly asked.

The star sprite started trembling. She was scared.

"No but I can't break the rules like that. What would happen to me if I disobey the stars?" She stuttered.

"That is up to you to discover. Maybe they won't be as harsh on you as you think. Also, if you get an opportunity to do your job better, would you take it even if it meant that you'll have to break at least one rule?" The punk continued.

Starlow started crying. She wanted to complete her task and she also wanted what was best for her contact but she could bring herself to do so by disobeying her superiors. She slowly flew down but Larry put his hands under her. She landed on them.

"Listen, Starlow. If there's one valuably thing I learned through my life is that we can't always do the right thing if we just follow the rules." Larry told her.

"That's impossible! The rules are there to make sure we always do the right thing! If these were wrong, why do they exist?" Starlow cried.

"Not always, Starlow, they're here to ensure that we do them without hurting anyone including ourselves. Sometimes, we need to go against the rules to do the right thing. Sometimes, someone needs to suffer for the good of all."

Starlow closed her eyes, tears slowly sliding on her face. She calmed herself down.

"Should I repeat my questions?" Larry asked.

"Larry… Now I understand why the stars chose you. Rules aren't what motivate you to do anything. You do things for the ones you love. I was so afraid to break the rule but I think this time I'll make some exceptions for Geno. I don't care what happens to me next as long as people are glad of what I did. Thank you, Larry, I'm so glad to be with you. As for the drakoopas, I do not understand why the stars would want to keep their history a secret. You are a drakoopa. You should be allowed to know your own story. It doesn't matter anymore if you know a lot from Geno. In fact, I'm glad that you do. It shows that he is not completely defunct." The star sprite said.

They heard footsteps and the duo looked toward the sounds. It was Geno. He was holding something in his hand. It was a sheet of paper.

"Ah, there you are. Starlow, I wanted to show you the permission my higher authority gave me." Geno said as he spotted the duo and waved his paper.

"All along, you were allowed to? What were all the things the stars told me about you?"

"The only problem I have is my feelings. The rest was made up to test you. Do not worry. I was also tested in a similar way a long time ago."

"Wait! You knew all about that!?"

"Indeed, my higher authority told me to keep an eye on you to see how you would perform during the test. Since you have passed it, I can tell you that the interdiction of sharing information concerning the drakoopa history was also made up."

"Oh… In that case, Larry knows someone that knows where the Koopa Klaymore might be. We just need to read his memory to find it."

The puppet nodded. The group headed upstairs to meet Kamek who was teaching Junior about basics of how to manage taxes. The session was interrupted so that Geno could read Kamek's memory.

"I have some good news. The Koopa Klaymore was last seen with Bowser's true father in the mountains north-west of the Mushroom City." Geno announced.

"Why would he stay so far from his kingdom?" Starlow asked.

"After the Dragon War, his people betrayed him and he exiled himself there."

"Let's hope he's still here with the artifact. The memory dates many years ago."

Larry prepared his sidepack. Someone pulled on his pants. He looked at the person and saw that it was Junior.

"Can I come with you? I wanna see my grandpapa." Junior proposed.

The punk looked at the magikoopa who simply nodded at him. He then looked back at the puppet.

"In that case, I shall head downstairs to get myself fixed." Geno concluded.

The puppet left the room. Larry, Starlow and Junior did the same but they then left through the main entrance instead of going downstairs like Geno. Since Larry's bike was still in Skyland, they borrowed a car to head to the place where the Koopa Klaymore could be. They eventually arrived at a mountain. Because there was no road on it, they had to get off and started walking on the mountain. After a few hours and some perils like cliffs, they reached a wooden cabin built into the mountain. They entered it to take a break. The cabin did not have much aside of an armchair facing a lit fireplace, a table in the middle of the room and a shelf filled with old books standing next to a door.

"Who goes there?" A dying voice spoke.

The trio looked at the armchair. A silhouette stood up and turned around to face them. The owner was wearing a cloak that covered all his body while a hoodie covered most of his face, only revealing its feline-shaped drakoopa mouth that looked like Bowser's.

"Who are you? Are you my grandpapa?" Junior curiously asked.

"My name left me a long time ago. I am but a nameless former king that the world had long forgotten. Who are you to call me your grandfather?" The stranger asked.

"My name is Bowser Jr. I am the prince of the Koopa Kingdom and I'll soon be crowned its king."

"Bowser… That is a name I have not heard a long time ago. What happened to him? You sound too young to become a king."

Junior was not ready to answer him so Larry stepped in.

"The former koopa king is no more." Larry announced to the stranger.

"He was never a king, just a puppet to allow my return." The stranger replied.

"A puppet? Why would you use him?"

"I had finally learned the secret of immortality after King Boo started the Dragon War but I could not start with the process to become immortal. The families were fighting each other and I had to protect the ones who were still at my side. Then, my own people betrayed me and I have to flee the kingdom with my son. Having been a god, King Boo would have never been able to steal the kingdom from me ever again. I wanted Bowser to take the throne in my place while I was becoming a god. It took many years and I could not raise my own son so I asked my advisor, Kamek, to raise him without making him or himself too fond of each other. I wanted my son to be a king, not a mere commoner. During the process, Bowser took back the Koopa Kingdom as intended. As I became immortal, he returned here and blinded me."

"How did he blind you?"

"Every blessing has its curse. The price of my immortality was that I must overwhelm anyone that dared to confront me or I would lose one of my senses. He tried to convince me that no world needed an immortal ruler to ensure that King Boo would never take over. I chose not to listen to him and we fought to the death but I lost. He spared my life this day to let me remember that my people no longer needed me. I still remember how I lost my sight. Everything went blurry until darkness took over."

"I heard of a plan to retake the lands. What happened to it?"

"The plan was doomed to fail since it was first brought up. What remained of the seven other drakoopa families either exiled outside of Amarioca or hid somewhere in the continent. Those who remained here refused to cease the quarrels toward each other, King Boo's plan having succeeded better than I thought. Kamek acted as a middleman to attempt to bring back order while I was experimenting but nothing changed. He was unable to reconcile them. In the end, the seven families ended up dropping their last children at the same orphanage without each other knowing. If that was not what put the last nail on the plan's coffin, Bowser ended up adopting all of them thus ending the Drakoopa Era for good."

"Who are those children you mentioned?"

"Ah yes, I still remember their first names: Lawrence, Mortimer, Gwendolyn, Ignatius, Ronald, Flemington and Ludwig. Seven children meant to retake the lands, but Bowser saw our plan and foiled it. He did not want them to go through what their ancestors suffered. He wanted them to be treated like anyone else. I was naïve to believe that a drakoopa was only good to rule."

"Kamek received a war declaration written by you. Why would you do that?"

"After my own son blinded me, I grew hateful toward him. If I could not have the throne once again, I would make sure no one else would. I am surprised that this war never happened however. Perhaps Kamek had a change of heart and went against me. I told him not to grow attached to my son but, alas, words can be ignored so easily. I then regretted this decision. I feared that I might have doomed Amarioca due to my wrath toward my son."

There was a brief moment of silence. The stranger slowly walked toward the group.

"May I touch you?" The stranger asked uncomfortably.

Larry simply walked forward and closed his eyes. Junior and Starlow wanted to object but they held themselves. The stranger kneeled down and put his hands all over Larry's head. He wanted to feel every detail.

"Yes… The oval eyes, the feline mouth, but only two fangs… Are you a hybrid?" The stranger asked.

"I used to have four fangs but I lost two of them in an accident." The punk answered.

The stranger released the koopaling and stood back up.

"You are Lawrence Christopher Athlean. I can feel that you are the king of Grassland. I can also feel the orange wand and the Grassland in your soul. Though, why do you also possess four other wands with you? How can you use their magic?" The stranger asked.

"My siblings gave me their power to use the wands. I still have two siblings to see and two wands to get."

"Why do you gather the wands together, Lawrence? This procedure only happens when the world is in peril."

"Our world was destroyed by a blue gas that turned most of its population into dry creatures. I'm gathering all the royal artifacts to restore it. I have come here looking for the royal koopa artifact."

"You must refer to the Koopa Klaymore. This world is no longer my concern for I am no longer fit to rule. I will not give you the precious koopa heirloom. There is nothing to save. The world is at an end and you must not interfere with it."

"Space aliens spread a blue gas on the world. You're not the one that decides if the world's worthy of being saved or not. You turned your back on it and…"

"I WILL NOT LET A MERE CHILD CALL ME A COWARD!"

The stranger took off his hoodie to reveal a head similar to Bowser's. Long white hairs fell down. His eyes were only two white globes, devoid of any irises and pupils. It would be baffling to think that he was still living. It seemed more like a dry creature trapped in a body.

"Make me." He declared.

The stranger then opened his cloak to reveal his body. As so, the world around everyone reshaped itself and brought everyone to an unknown place. They were now standing on sand with a small layer of water above it. It must have been an inch high since most feet were partially submerged. An abstract formation of rock formed a giant cage around them covering yards of free space. A giant orange moon orbited above the new world in its navy blue sky. Larry looked around and saw that Junior and Starlow were far away from him. They could not move. They were imprisoned inside a magical barrier. He looked back at the stranger. His body was fully exposed. The pale taint of it revealed that he must have lived for quite a long time. Its scars were all witnesses to the tragedies and perversions of history. The former king was wielding the Koopa Klaymore in his right hand. He raised his left hand and an army of dry koopas rose from the sands. Larry looked at himself and noticed that he was in his royal vestments. He summoned his five-stone wand and used the orange wand's magic to form two rock walls around the army and crushed it in a single blow.

"You have learned a lot about the orange wand's power. A mere army of our subjects was no match for you but how will you fare against your own parents?" The former king asked.

The stranger made another gesture and two dry koopas of similar size as the former rose from the sands.

"They aren't my parents." Larry told the king.

"You were born from them. You cannot deny your birth." The king reminded him.

"They may have put me on this world but they did not raise me. My love goes to Bowser for having taken me under his wing, not two pretentious cowards that hid in the shadow!"

"Does he really love you? Do you not think that he replaced you and your siblings with Bowser Jr?"

Larry did not listen to the nameless king. With the purple stone's power, he aimed the wand at the two dry creatures and fired an ice beam that froze both in place.

"If the deaths will not bring you down, the livings will." The nameless king threatened.

The stranger charged toward the punk. The latter turned his wand into gauntlets to block the king's first attack, an overhead sword slash. He grabbed after the sword and pulled it off the king's hand. He threw it on the other side of the arena. The king, however, did not need a sword to fight. He punched Larry, sending him flying away next to the sword. When the punk stood up, the king was charging t him, about to deliver another punch. The punk avoided it and grabbed after his foes' chest. With the gauntlets' strength, he managed to throw the adversary into the wet sand on his shell. The king's weight caused him to sink. Larry used the orange stone's magic to turn the sand under the sinking king into dirt. The dirt absorbed more water and the nameless king sank deeper. He could no longer break free. He was done for.

"I cannot move… I yield." The king declared.

In a flash, everyone was back into the old cabin. The stranger had his hood and cloak back on, concealing his true identity once again. He stood back up.

"I underestimate you, Lawrence. I have overlooked that I am not the only one to live on this world. The world is not something to hog but something to share. My selfishness and carelessness are results of years of isolation. Once again, the curse shall remind me of my failure… I can hear my voice dying down… I…" The king said.

"Wait! What about the Koopa Klaymore? Can we have it?" Larry asked.

There was no response from the nameless king. He turned around and walked away from the group, toward a door. He left the room.

"Larry, what are we gonna do?" Starlow asked.

No one among the trio knew what to do now. They might have lost their only way to retrieve the Koopa Klaymore. The nameless king could no longer hear or see. There was no way to interact with him in an understandable way anymore. The king, however, returned, holding a sword in its sheath and a thick grimoire. He put them on the table.

"Lawrence, I want you to have these. The Koopa Klaymore should allow you to merge the seven wands and the Star Pendant into the Sword of Creation. With this, you should be able to restore the world but only a being of might and heart can wield and use it. This book is our entire history and that includes you and your ancestors as well as your siblings and their ancestors. I have no more use of these. Please, as a favor for me, continue our history. Write it down in this grimoire. It no longer matters if the drakoopas are reduced to mere citizens of the world. If you happen to meet other drakoopas that seek eternal life, tell them my story. Convince them to let it go. Finding immortality, though, is not the hard part. It is letting go. The rest is up to you. Farewell, Lawrence, and take care of my grandson." The king bided, tear in his eye, before returning to his armchair.

Larry took the sword. He examined it for a moment. The proud symbol of the Koopa Kingdom bore its emblem, the head of an adult necrean, on the guard. The pummel was a miniature spiked ball. He unsheathed the sword to take a look at the blade. The long straight blade shined in silver. Starlow picked up the book with her telekinetic powers and left the cabin with Junior. The punk holstered the sword back in its sheath. As he was about to leave the cabin, he took one last look at the armchair where the nameless king was sitting. He wished he could do something else for him but in his current state only time could. The koopaling sighed out of helplessness and left the cabin. The group headed back to the Mushroom Castle. Junior got off first and ran into the castle. Larry stayed sat in the car for a moment.

"Larry, I'm sorry if it wasn't what you had in mind for a grandfather." Starlow told him.

"I was expecting that since Kamek told me about him for the first time days ago. I'm just glad we could get the royal koopa artifact and that we can carry on. There's nothing else we can do for him." The punk sighed.

They got off the car and headed to the castle's main entrance. Sitting on the bridge's railing, the inkling were talking to each other. They were not there when Larry spoke about Bowser's demise. They also did not return immediately after parking the jeep in Sandland. They seemed to be hitting off with each other. The tension between them seemed to have died down. They noticed Larry.

"Hey, punk, I just heard about your dad. I'm sorry for what happened to him." Agent 3 said.

"Also, we're sorry for not reporting for duty after dropping the jeep in Sandland. Just after, we kinda fell in love with each other and we stayed there for a while." Agent 4 explained.

The inkling boy lost balance on the railing and fell backward into the river beneath.

"Take a seat." The inkling girl invited.

The punk sat next to her.

"So, what's going on with you two?" Larry asked.

"After having been out of turf wars for a long time, we finally got the chance to know each other better. Thanks to you too, we put aside our differences and things started to hit off. I want to thank you for that so I want to give you a kiss."

"Alright, kiss me on the cheek and make it quick. I got…"

The inkling girl grabbed Larry by his jacket and kissed him right into the mouth. Larry tried to break free but eventually took the girl in his arms. Though he was the kind of person to hit it with most girls he saw, his love was for Isabelle only. They both lost their balance and fell down into the river. Though they were underwater, they still kissed. They did not forget to emerge back and take a breath however.

"What are you two doing down there?" A voice spoke above them.

They looked above and saw that Agent 3 was back on the railing. He jumped back into the river to join them. Larry did not stay. He swam back to land and entered the castle. He had to give his wet clothes to Isabelle to have them washed. He headed to his room where Junior was telling Kamek about the nameless king. The future king then left the room with some toys. Larry went to speak to the magikoopa.

"Larry, I'm sorry if I didn't come with you to see the king. I did not have the courage to face him again." Kamek apologised.

"Kamek, just because you didn't see him with me doesn't necessarily make you a coward. It shows that you moved on and changed for the better. I'm glad that you're taking care of Junior in a good way. For once, I can finally call you…" Larry started.

The punk paused for a moment. A tear came out of his eye and he jumped at Kamek to hug him.

"…Grandpa." He finished.

"Thank you, Larry, for giving me a second chance. I'm glad that you retrieved the royal Koopa Kingdom artifact but we still have a lot to do. We need to find Lemmy and Ludwig and the two other wands. Where should you go next?" Kamek reminded him.

"I need to go to Iceland. I saw Lemmy in my dream and I fear that he might be in trouble."

Larry left the room. He headed downstairs to the laboratory to check on Geno. Iggy and Elvin were doing their best to diagnose his problem.

"Ah, Larry, I'm afraid that I won't be able to assist you on your next journey. The problem has proven to be far more difficult to solve." Geno announced.

"Where are you going, Larry?" Iggy asked.

"Iceland." Larry simply answered.

"Alright, I have a winter coat for you. I don't know how much I'll be able to help you when you'll reach Iceland. Geno's corruption took a huge chunk of his hardware and it'll take a while for sure to fix it." His big brother replied as he handed him a coat.

Larry put in on and left the scientist back at their job. He got back upstairs and went checking in the boys' room to bring someone with him. Agent 3, Popple and Tatanga were having a conversation.

"Who are you again?" Popple asked to the alien.

"Off course you haven't heard of me, kids. I was popular back in Sarasia. You should've heard about Daisy's kidnapping, right?" The alien arrogantly replied.

"I wasn't much into the news, see?"

"Yeah and I come from a completely different planet." The inkling boy said.

"Kids these days, always ignorant of the big news."

"Said the tiny bat." Popple joked.

The burglar and the squid kid got a good laugh. The bat humanoid was not amused. He left the room but noticed Larry.

"Hey, kid, you're just in time. Are you going to Iceland?" He asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I didn't know you were actually going there. I just got a call from my contact and she told me to meet her at an outpost in Iceland. You got any idea where it might be?"

"I think I know which outpost she's talking about. There's only one in Iceland."

Larry and Tatanga met back with Starlow. They prepared some stuff for their next journey. Larry put his sunglasses back on his eyes and they went downstairs to take the pipe to Skyland.


	25. Chapter 6-2

**Chapter 6-2: Under the stars**

The pipe led the group to the marina where Tatanga was first found. Before they headed out, they had to plan on what they would use to go to Iceland.

"Tatanga, can we use your ship to bring us there?" Larry asked.

"Sorry, kid, when we fought against the dragon, I forced the engine too much and it expired shortly after we met Kraig. My ship is at a garage in Skyland City. I hope you thought of something else to get to Iceland." The alien replied.

"Let's go to my bike. It must still be around here."

They wandered through the marina which was back in business. Many ships were parked for reparation and lakitus hovered around on clouds. They saw Larry's bike next to a kiosk with a sign that read "Pawn Shop" on it. A lakitu was standing behind the kiosk. They went to see the shopkeeper.

"Welcome, tourists, may I interest you in some of my wares?" The shopkeeper proposed.

"I'm here to get my bike back." The punk told him.

"I'm sorry but you'll have to buy it first." The lakitu crookedly grinned.

"Really? It's his bike and…" Starlow started.

"Let me handle that, Starlow. You have the keys with the bike?" The koopaling said.

"Yes, I have them right here." The lakitu answered.

The lakitu brought up some keys out of his kiosk. Clearly, Larry could tell they were not the bike's key. They were just ordinary keys, certainly to someone's house, the lakitu's house. The bike's key had the logo of the bike's manufacturer on their head.

"I doubt these keys will work. Unless you start the engine with them, I'm not interested in it." Larry pointed out.

The lakitu started sweating. He put the keys on the kiosk.

"King Larry, what a surprise to see you there! What brings you here?"

The group looked behind them and saw a council member from Skyland. He was at the marina to ensure that at least a few ships would be ready for travelling.

"I need to go to Iceland. I was planning to use my bike but someone is trying to sell it to me?" The punk explained.

"Wait! You're a king!? Please, take the bike free of charge!" The shopkeeper said while bringing the bike to them.

Obviously, he had to push it because he did not actually have the keys to start the engine.

"Please, don't punish me!" The shopkeeper begged to Larry.

"It's your council's job to judge you, not mine. I'm king of my own land." The punk said.

Larry took the belted cushion out of his bike's seat and wore it. He hopped on his bike while Tatanga got on holding his back and Starlow entered his sidepack.

"Be careful in there. We haven't received any news from Iceland for days. I fear that the situation there might be worse than anywhere else." The council member warned.

The group nodded and left the marina, heading out to Iceland. They reached the border between Skyland and their destination. A lakitu was stationed there but no one from Iceland was present. There, a gas station stood on the side of Skyland. They parked the bike right next to the building and entered it.

"What are we looking for, kid?" Tatanga asked.

"I wanna get a car battery before we head out into Iceland. I wanna make sure I can start the engine anytime. The harsh conditions there will quickly drain the bike's battery." Larry replied.

Unlike the other gas station Larry visited (Chapter 2-2), this one was already visited by many scavengers so barely anything was left. The group went in the garage next to the station and found a car that was being fixed before the incident. The car was in no condition to be used due to its absent hood and missing lights. A battery was plugged after the engine. Larry unplugged the car's battery and pulled it out of the car. Starlow brought some popsicles she found in one of the freezers. Since their trip to Sandland, she got hooked to these cold treats. They took a break and each ate a Popsicle. This time, the star sprite was taking her time to eat it to not get another brain freeze. The bat humanoid, having already eaten that kind of treat many times, did the same.

"Tell me, kids, how long have you been with each other?" Tatanga asked.

"It must've been at least a week." Larry said.

"Yeah and the first time we saw each other, it was really awkward. I was looking for him because the stars told me to seek him. I was supposed to meet him in a prison cell in the Grassland Fortress but he wasn't there and I had no idea where he could be. So, I went to the Mushroom Castle to see Princess Peach to see if she knew where I could find him and, coincidentally, it just so happened that he was there. When I first met him, he just finished taking a shower but good thing he was wearing a towel." Starlow explained.

"Wait. You were meant to meet me at the Grassland Fortress after the incident?" Larry asked.

"Yes, this was part of the stars' plan to restore the world. Something must've foiled it and forced you to be evacuated."

(Whoops! Maybe I shouldn't have broken free by myself.) The punk thought.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Tatanga concluded.

After eating their Popsicle, the group left the garage and put the battery inside the bike's seat. They drove for a few more hours into the snowy plains. Iceland shared many common traits with both Grassland and Woodland. Half of its landscape was plains full of snow like Grassland during winter while the other half was filled with frozen forests like Woodland in its coldest season. Just like post-incident Sandland, there were little to no signs of cry creatures. Thought, this was because civilisations in Iceland were more concentrated at specific places rather than being spread accross the land. They drove for a few more hours. The sun was setting much faster than anywhere else, an anomaly no scientist could explain since Iceland was in the same time zone as the rest of Amarioca. They also passed by some of the landmarks in the land such as Sherbet Land and Mount Wario. They finally reached the outpost the contact might have been talking about earlier just before the sun completely vanished behind the snowy plains. The outpost was built much differently compared to the one in Sandland and the other one in Woodland. It had a garage to not let any vehicles out in the cold. It also had a hot spring next to it for people that wanted to take a hot bath after a cold day. The group headed inside the garage and parked the bike there. Larry plugged the battery after the bike's engine. They entered inside the outpost. Much like the other ones, one room was filled with many beds to allow travellers to rest. Another room was dedicated to the kitchen and one last room had a fireplace with many armchairs and couches. They went in the living room and sat down on a couch.

"Hey, kid, I heard some stuff about your dad having passed away. A lot of people talk about it as if it'll have an impact on everyone. Was your dad that popular?" Tatanga asked.

"Well, my dad was the Koopa King after all." Larry answered.

"Wait, you mean your dad was Bowser!? My, it's been a long time I haven't heard that name! I used to visit him many times years ago. I often went to his castle to play tennis with him."

"You played tennis with him at his castle?"

The punk suddenly realized something.

"Now I replace you in my memories. Why you seemed familiar to me wasn't because of a video game. That was because I saw you at the castle years ago and Bowser even presented you to me. Yes, I remember that's when I started playing tennis."

"I used to visit him a lot until he once vanished during months. What happened to him?"

"He said he had a business meeting in Obeanie. Not many people know what happened to him there. One of the few people that knew what happened to him was Popple who stumbled across him. At that time, he had no memory of what he was doing or who he was."

"That green burglar at the castle met him years ago?"

"I know. I thought it was farfetched but he actually knew Bowser. He even knew about me and my siblings as well as Junior way before he met any of us."

Though Popple also knew about Clawdia, Larry chose not to bring it up.

"Bowser has a new kid? Isn't it becoming too much for him? Nevermind that. Before I sidetrack too much, you still didn't explain how he lost his memory that day." Tatanga pointed out.

"I can explain." Starlow brought up.

The two humanoids looked at the star sprite.

"After I was created, the stars gave me my first mission to stop an assassination attempt on Bowser. He was heading to Obeanie via an airship. I tried to warn him about the whole thing but I was too late. When I arrived at his ship, another ship was already fighting it. Two individuals tried to kill him but Bowser fell off his ship into somewhere in Obeanie. The fall and impact must have caused the memory loss. The two assassins after him were Cakletta, a powerful witch who once used to rule over Obeanie until she was chased out and Queen Bean took her place, and Fawful, her personal advisor whose loyalty would remain to her instead of the crown. Shortly after the failed attempt, Cackletta and Fawful were arrested for betrayal and attempted murder against royalty. While Cackletta was executed, Fawful managed to escape to plan another assassination attempt. This time, Bowser was heading back to Amarioca and I managed to get to him to tell about the next assassination attempt. He did not believe me until Fawful got on the ship. A heated fight broke between Bowser and Fawful until Fawful fell overboard into the ocean. No one was ever able to find him. The stars declared him as deceased but, somehow, I still…"

Someone knocked on the door of the outpost's entrance. Tatanga got excited.

"That must be my contact." The alien declared.

The group stood up from the couch and headed to the door. Tatanga opened the door and they were presented to a human girl. The girl was very tall, perhaps the same height as Bowser. She was wearing a turquoise robe with sleeves that reached her hands her platinum blond hair covered her right eye while a silver crown rested on them. A star with small oval black eyes accompanied her. People who met her for the first time would usually mistake her with Peach for sharing similar facial traits. Tatanga started trembling. Larry noticed that he tried to smile at the girl but could not keep his smile straight. Love stroke him and did not miss its target at all. The small bat humanoid started stuttering.

"Good evening, strangers. I am looking for the Ice World. Do you know where I can find it?" The girl asked.

Neither Larry nor Starlow knew what she was talking about. Maybe Tatanga knew something about it but he was stuttering too much to speak. The punk gently hit the alien's side with his elbow but he was too absorbed to react to it.

"Will you excuse me? I need to bring him back on the World." Larry said to the girl.

He proceeded to slap the alien into the face. Tatanga finally snapped out of it.

"Ah yes, the Ice World, take a left right after the Comet Observatory then head straight. After a few lightyears, turn right before the Gateway Galaxy and you should arrive at the Ice World." Tatanga said.

"That is correct. You must be my contact. My name is Rosalina." The girl greeted.

"I am Tatanga. I'm pleased to meet you."

Oddly enough, Tatanga did not have his showy attitude like when he introduced himself to Larry. He was much tamer and less arrogant. The punk already met Rosalina a few times before the incident. He first saw her in karting competitions then in the Olympics. At the Olympics, she was participating in the rhythmic gymnastics events.

"We have much to discuss but we need to be left alone." Rosalina said to the koopaling.

"I get it. I'll go take a walk outside. I won't be that far. I'll just hang around the snowmen. Then, I'll rest in the hot spring." Larry told to her.

The punk left the outpost and went for a walk. Many snowmen were built next to the outpost. They were witnesses of the everchanging world. Some of them must have dated from centuries ago, or even millennials. He walked between them until he saw one particular snowman. It was around the same height as Larry and was wearing a scarf. He went checking it and saw his name carved on it.

"After all those years, it's still standing." He whispered.

"What's the deal about that snowman?"

Larry looked behind him and saw Starlow. She followed him because she too was not allowed to hear what the two others had to discuss either.

"Oh, I made this snowman ten years ago on my first trip here. It also reminds me when…" Larry replied.

He looked back at the snowman and sat down in the snow. He closed his eyes.

 _Iceland was the first land Bowser brought his koopalings on their very first vacation trip. The vacation project would go as follow: Iceland, Skyland, Sandland, Grassland, Sealand, Woodland and Pipeland. The family stopped at the outpost after having visited the Iceland City. It was late in the night and Larry, wearing a scarf and mittens, was rolling a snowball on the ground. He put it among a few snowmen. He rolled two other snowballs, both smaller than the first one. He put the snowball on top of each other to make his snowman. It was quite small but he could not make a bigger one due to his short size at the time. He went inside the outpost to find objects he could use to decorate his snowman. He found a carrot and some pebbles. He went back outside and put the carrot on the top snowball. With the pebbles, he made eyes, a smiling mouth and, with the last three pebbles he had, he put them on the middle snowball to act as buttons for a shirt. He wore off his scarf and put it on the snowman. After he made his snowman, he looked around and saw his brother Lemmy who was lying in the snow and starring at the sky._

" _Hey, Lemmy, what are you doing?" Larry cheerfully asked._

" _Larry, why do things change?" Lemmy randomly asked._

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Why is Iggy sad all of a sudden?"_

" _I don't know."_

 _Lemmy was the first person to notice Iggy had a problem. He could not however find a way to make him happy long enough. All his efforts were in vain. Lemmy stood up and looked at his little brother._

" _Of course you don't know, Larry! You're stupid!" He insulted._

" _Lemmy, I don't know what Iggy has but…" Larry started._

" _I DON'T WANT THINGS TO CHANGE!" The small koopaling shouted._

 _Lemmy ran away, crying, toward the outpost. It was clear that he had his own problem just like Larry's other siblings. The punk did not know what to do. His little brother should realize that sometimes things change. Larry had no idea how he would explain this to Lemmy._

" _Come in, Larry! It's getting late! We have hot cocoa inside!" Bowser's voice yelled._

 _Larry looked at the outpost and saw an imposing shadowy silhouette in the doorframe filled with light. The punk went to the door._

"Regardless of the change, Lemmy never wanted to accept it. It took so long that Junior was born." Larry concluded.

"Did Junior's birth finally made him accept changes?" Starlow asked.

"I don't remember exactly if that was what changed him."

They went back to the outpost and headed toward the hot spring. Larry removed his clothes and shell and went in the spring. Starlow, on the other hand, went back inside. Footsteps could be heard shortly after. The punk looked around. Tatanga was in a swimming suit and entered the spring.

"So, kid, now that I met my contact, I have nothing else to do here." He announced.

"Good for you but I still have some stuff to do." Larry replied.

"What kind of stuff?"

"I need to get the green wand and I have to check on one of my siblings. Are you planning to return to the Mushroom Castle?"

"It'll depend if Rosalina wants to follow you or not. Right now, we only talked about a future meeting to schedule with the royalties of the Mario World."

"Don't you think it's too early to schedule another big day after what happened during the first one?"

"Yeah, I thought about it too. Don't worry, kid. First, we must get rid of that Riley guy to make sure he won't try anything against us."

"I heard he has a ship orbiting around the Mario World."

"It'll be too risky to attempt a direct assault on his ship. For now, we just need to prepare for the worst. Also, why are you gathering those magical gizmos?"

"Starlow told me that we can restore the world if we gather all the royal artifacts together. I only have two wands left and the Star Pendant to get."

They kept talking for a little while until they got tired and got off the hot spring. They dried themselves with towels found inside the outpost. Larry only put his underwear back and brought his shell and the rest of his clothes next to a bed. Starlow joined him back and lied down on a table near his bed. Before the punk went to sleep, he overheard a conversation between Rosalina and Tatanga.

"You know, when I just arrived here, you acted all strange. Are you sure you are comfortable to be with me?" Rosalina's voice asked.

"Off course I am! I haven't seen someone as pretty as you before. Even Daisy isn't that cute." Tatanga's voice answered.

"I have heard many things about you and how you kidnapped her."

"Woah! That was a long time ago. I changed, I swear."

"I do not doubt it. It was many years ago after all. Though, I thought you were taller."

"Kids like to make things up to make villains scarier."

"Well, I find you more adorable like that."

The size difference between Rosalina and Tatanga was ridiculous. Rosalina could hold the alien in her arms and pretend that he was a big bat plush. Larry closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The group woke the next day. Larry combed his hairs and joined the others for breakfast where they had toasts. They spoke to each other to know about their current plan.

"We were planning to go to the Mushroom Kingdom to meet Princess Peach, Larry. Will you come back with us?" Rosalina said.

"I can't. I need to go to Iceland City to check on my brother Lemmy then I must retrieve the green wand." Larry replied.

"I that case, I will come with you." The girl proposed.

"But you just said that you'll leave us!" Starlow reminded her.

"I know but the city is in ruins." The woman announced.

"What's the situation there? A city in ruins doesn't mean much when all the other cities are in ruins." Larry pointed out.

"There were no survivors." Rosalina announced.

The rest of the group was shocked.

"I only walked down the streets and no one was there. Many broken bones lied down in the streets." The girl continued.

"If you only went in the streets, maybe there are at least a few people who survived that must be in one of the buildings or the Iceland Palace. Those broken bones prove it. I need to see it from my own eyes." Larry said.

The group came to an agreement. They would go to Iceland City to find some survivors and retrieve the green wand. They left the outpost. Larry got back on his bike and Starlow went in his sidepack. Rosalina had a ship and Tatanga joined her in the ship. They headed toward Iceland city.


	26. Chapter 6-3

**Chapter 6-3: Lord of a dead empire**

The bike and the ship reached the entrance of Iceland City. Larry and Starlow got off the bike while Tatanga and Rosalina got off the ship. They did not even have to enter the city to notice that something was wrong. Rosalina was indeed telling the truth: broken bones were scattered in the streets of the city and there was no sign of survivors. The bones in their state might imply that there was still someone there or perhaps there used to be. The group entered the city. Its many building made of wood still stood. Snow slowly fell from the sky. Some of the bones were covered in snow, implying they were there a long time ago. It was like the city was frozen in time. The scenery gave a disturbing "end of world" feeling.

"What do we do, Larry? There doesn't seem to be anyone around." Rosalina asked.

Larry felt the despair in her voice but he did not want to turn back and leave and presume Lemmy was gone. He would only believe such thing if he saw it from himself but he also had to get the green wand and Lemmy's power. The city in its current state was not a proof concrete enough to convince the punk to give up. He toggled the thermal vision on his sunglasses. His vision went red. He looked at his friends who appeared as white silhouettes through the shades. He looked around and saw a minuscule white silhouette in the distance in front of a huge building.

"Hold on! I see someone far away over there!" Larry declared.

The punk ran toward the silhouette while his friends followed him. When he got close enough, he disabled the thermal vision and the silhouette was now a small penguin. The penguin was scared and ran away inside the building.

"Who's there?" A voice spoke.

The building in question was the town hall. The group looked at the building and saw a giant penguin, pointing the green wand toward them, coming out of it. There was no sadness in her face, only emptiness and despair.

"What are you doing here?" The giant penguin asked in a monotone voice.

"What happened here? I haven't seen you before." Rosalina asked.

"I saw you walking down the streets, girl."

The penguin walked down the stairs and sat down on the last steps. The smaller penguin joined her.

"A blue gas wiped out everyone here. It does not matter if you are just scavengers looking for food. There is no one here but me." The giant penguin told to the group.

"Who are you?" Starlow asked.

"I am Mother Penguin. I used to be the queen of Iceland until this incident happened. The Space Federation tricked me and destroyed my land." The former queen replied.

"About that, the members were in fact space pirates posing as members of the Space Federation to trick people. They prevented the actual members of the organisation to attend the meeting." Larry explained.

"How do you know that?" The giant penguin asked.

"Here I have two actual members of the Space Federation." The punk presented.

Both Tatanga and Rosalina moved forward and presented themselves. They showed their badge to Mother Penguin.

"What business do you have here?" Mother Penguin asked.

"My name is Starlow. I've come on behalf of the stars to retrieve the green wand to restore the world." The star sprite greeted.

The giant penguin looked at Larry. She noticed the rings he was wearing.

"Are you the new Grassland king? What happened to the former one? Why does your wand ring have so many stones?" She asked.

"First, I'm indeed the new Grassland king. Second, the former king still lives and rules over Grassland in my absence because I need to look after my siblings and the wands. Finally, my wand rings has five wands. I'm merging them together to prepare for the world restoration." The koopaling explained.

"Since you are looking for your siblings, I suppose you are here for Lemmy." Mother Penguin guessed.

"That's correct. Have you seen him around?"

"Yes, he somehow survived the incident. He helped me destroy all the dry creatures here. It was hard for me to take down my own people. There were times where Lemmy had to do it himself because I could not stand myself. He tried many times to put a smile back on my face. My child was able to smile again but I could no longer smile. He resides with me in the town hall to keep an eye on me and my child. Today, however, he said he had to get something from his house then he would head to the Iceland Palace. He was gone shortly before you reached the town hall."

"How's it that we didn't stumble upon him?"

"He used an alternate path to not attract attention. If you're quick and lucky, you can meet him at his house. Or, you can either enter the palace or wait for his return."

Mother Penguin gave Larry the green wand which the latter put in his sidepack. Larry did not want to wait for Lemmy's return. He was rejoiced that another of his siblings survived the incident. Lemmy must be the other koopaling immune to the virus as Geno would have told. With Dry Bowser on the loose though, everyone was in danger. Larry realized that he forgot to ask Isabelle about the peace treaty renewal for Iceland but, after seeing the situation here, the papers would be of no use. He nodded at Mother Penguin and headed to Lemmy's house. The two Space Federation members stayed behind with the Iceland queen and her child to comfort her. Only Starlow followed the punk. They arrived at a specific house. The koopaling pulled out his keys and unlocked the front door. They entered the house, looking for Lemmy. Lemmy's house had an entire room dedicated to practicing his circus acts and his magic tricks. They searched every room but there was no sign of the little koopaling. Larry however found something strange in the house when he searched in the bedroom. Lemmy's ball was there but not Lemmy. His ball was yellow with orange stars on it. He would never go anywhere without his ball. Why would Lemmy leave it there? It was his favorite toy and he kept it since Bowser gave it to him as a welcome gift upon adoption. Larry picked up the ball and stared at it.

"What's so special about this ball?" Starlow asked.

"He always brings his ball with him. Why did he leave it here?" The punk replied.

He kept staring at the ball.

"I remember the time when he almost left the castle." He whispered.

 _A few days after Junior was born, some of the koopalings left the castle to start their own life. They felt that they would no longer be welcome at the castle because of the new kid. Ludwig left the very day Junior hatched. Today, Larry was in his bedroom preparing to go to a tennis tournament in Grassland. He now only had two fangs coming out of his mouth. Between Junior's birthday and the present day, he got into a bicycle accident and broke his two small fangs. Bowser had to bring him to a dentist to have them pulled and place synthetic teeth instead. He picked up his tennis racket and left his room. As he was heading to the door that led to the throne room, a ball rolled from one of his siblings' rooms._

" _Stupid ball, I'll just get you back once I'm done with my luggage." Lemmy's voice said._

 _The punk picked up the ball and peeked inside Lemmy's room. His little big brother was preparing a suitcase that he filled with clothes and various objects. He was facing away from Larry. The latter entered the room with the ball._

" _What are you doing, Lemmy?" He asked._

" _I'm leaving. I can't take it anymore." Lemmy said, still facing away from him._

 _Though he could be referring to the new child, he was in fact talking about his fear of changes. Ironically, he was about to change his future. Lemmy was never known to think ahead. He believed that if the future did not happen there was no need to think about it_

" _I think you left something behind." The youngest koopaling said as he presented the ball._

 _His big brother turned around and…_

" _Aaaah! Larry, what happened to your mouth!?" Lemmy screamed._

" _I accidentally broke my two small fangs while riding my bicycle. I crashed and the dentist had to pull them out."_

" _But you're different!" Lemmy stuttered._

" _Do you have in mind that a change in look means the entire person changed?" Larry asked._

 _His big brother was trembling but he then realized something._

" _I can't escape them. It's futile." He cried._

" _Don't cry, Lemmy. I'm still the same person from the inside. How about we change your look a little bit and see the result?"_

 _Lemmy gasped. He wanted to avoid changes but this time Larry was proposing him to make a change. He trembled at first and closed his eyes but decided to take the last group of hairs on his head, yellow hairs, and put them backward and downward as opposed to all his other hair groups that were upward and forward. He made a ponytail._

" _How do you feel?" Larry asked._

" _I… I… I don't feel different, Larry. In fact, I think I like it like that."_

 _This one little change in his look made Lemmy craved for more. He stopped trembling and opened his eyes. He got excited._

" _Can we change something else in my look!?" He happily asked._

" _I'm not sure. As for me, I'm planning to get a star tattoo like Morton's birthmark but I'll put it on the back of my head instead of my face." Larry brought up._

" _Wow, I wanna get tattooed too!"_

 _Lemmy finally took his stuff out of his suitcase and ditched it into a corner of his room. He decided that he would stay at the castle to welcome the new family member and play with him when he would grow up. They both left Lemmy's room and went playing outside._

Larry snapped out of it. Both he and Starlow stared at the ball for quite a long time. They wasted enough time. They turned around and got the surprise of their life when, behind them, Riley was standing there with his big crooked grin he could barely keep straight. How did they not hear the intruder? Perhaps they were too focused on the ball to notice Riley's presence let alone hear him sneaking up to them. Unlike Tatanga who was struck by love, Riley was about to make his foes pay. He had his arms behind his back. His piercing glare paralyzed the koopaling and the star sprite.

"I'm sorry. I could not wait anymore to see you again. It's been a long time for me, you know. Days become weeks and so on." He clumsily said.

He looked at the star sprite. It was the first time he saw her.

"Who's that lightbulb friend of yours? Is she your girlfriend?" He teasingly asked.

"I'm not his girlfriend! I'm his partner! Riley, you've gone too far this time! It's time for you to pay for your crimes!" Starlow furiously replied.

"Awww, so much for a first time meeting but it doesn't matter. At least, you go straight to business and in that case…" Riley started, still looking at the star sprite while his head pointed toward the koopaling.

Riley quickly grabbed Starlow with his right hand. The latter struggled to break free. She was only able to shake his kidnaper's hand a little. Larry, on the other hand, was paralyzed. He could not move. Seeing Riley here was much unexpected and now that he was here Larry had no idea what to do.

"Let me go, you fiend!" Starlow begged.

"Did you say CRUSH!?" Riley diabolically asked as he crushed the star sprite in his hand.

Larry heard the cracking. He got terrified and backed up into a wall. Riley released his prisoner. Starlow fell on the floor. Her eyes no longer brightened and her body was deformed and cracked. The pterodactyl looked back at Larry and approached him. The alien chuckled. Larry tried to prepare himself but his opponent grabbed him by the neck and violently slammed him into the wall.

"I warned you, Larry. I'm sure you still remember our little meeting back in Woodland when I presented you Bone-ser. You have to meddle into my business again and today I'm gonna make you regret your whole life!" Riley joyfully reminded to the punk.

He then pulled out his photon pistol from his armor and put the cannon on Larry's forehead.

"I hope you did everything you wanted to do before we met, Larry. I so wanted to get this little business of mine done before I carry on to more important matters." He laughed.

Larry closed his eyes. There was a brief moment where nothing happened until…

"What's wrong with you, Riley boy? Why can't you just pull the trigger and get this over with? You already dealt with many people before, for crying out loud! How is it that you're hesitating now?" Riley's voice whispered.

The punk opened his eyes back and saw that Riley was trembling. He could not keep his cannon straight on Larry's forehead. He was shaking too much for that. Even his face changed drastically. He no longer had the sadistic look on it. He was hesitant. His mouth, while still showing his teeth, was no longer a grin. In the end, Riley put the gun down, closed his eyes and lowered his head. What could have happened to him to change in a second? His meeting with MOM and Kraig surely could not have such impact on him since he would already be like that between his meeting and when he met Larry now. He released his prey and stood there, doing absolutely nothing. Larry did not know what to do or say. Even he was confused by what was going on.

"Just go, Larry. Your brother Lemmy's in danger." Riley quietly announced.

There was no more mischief in his tone, no more sadism in his voice, only remorse. The punk slowly stood up and picked up his wounded friend. Before leaving Lemmy's house, he took one last look at the pterodactyl. He did not move. He seemed broken. Larry left the house and ran back to the town hall. There was no time to lose. His partner was probably dying. He almost tripped a few time but he managed to recover and make it back to the town hall. The others were ready to leave the building, surely to go to the Mushroom Castle. Larry rushed toward them.

"Guys, you need to go back to the Mushroom Castle! Take Starlow with you and bring her to the lab in the basement!" He ordered while handing Rosalina the damaged star sprite.

"What happened to…" Tatanga started.

"THERE'S NO TIME FOR QUESTIONS! JUST GO!" The punk abruptly cut him.

The alien nervously nodded and the group immediately went to the ship. Larry, however, headed toward the Iceland Palace. This was the only other place he would be able to find Lemmy. If what Riley said is true, he had to hurry. Even if Lemmy would be immune to the blue gas, Dry Bowser would easily bypass the vaccine and still infect him.


	27. Chapter 6-4

**Chapter 6-4: Lemmy Koopa**

A snow squall just occurred as Larry reached the footstep of the Iceland Palace. He stood there, staring at the imposing building that served as the home of the Iceland ruler. He then realized that he forgot something important in case he was too late to meet his big brother.

(Crud, I forgot Lemmy's ball. If I'm too late, I'll need something he holds dear to free him. And that snow storm will make the trip back to the city hazardous but I can't go in without his ball. Guess I have no choice. I must return to his house and get the ball.) He thought.

He turned around, ready to head back to the city. He was surprised to see that Lemmy's ball was sitting in the snow just in front of him. How did it get here? Who would put it there? He did not have time to think about it. He picked up the ball and headed inside the Iceland Palace. Inside, torches were lit and brightened the main hall and its icy walls. Broken bones were scattered on the floor. An ice sculpture of a giant snowflake stood in the middle of the hall. Larry walked toward the sculpture. At its feet, a plate was put there. The punk examined the plate.

"This sculpture is to commemorate all the explorers that lost their lives in the Great Iceland Expedition centuries ago. A brave acrean led a team of explorers into Iceland for an expedition. As the expedition went, tension rose between the explorers and they began losing hope to make it through the journey. Their despair materialized into a monster taking the form of a giant deadly snowflake that preyed on them. The acrean brought back hope to his fellow explorers and they fought the monster back. In the end, the acrean managed to establish a civilization in Iceland that flourished into what it is today but, alas, its creation came with the price of many fallen souls…"

The rest of the plate mentioned the names of many explorers that had fallen during the Great Iceland Expedition. Larry continued into the palace. He stumbled across a room that contained many sculptures of people that resembled Lemmy as well as accessories for circus acts. In the middle of this room, a grimoire rested on a podium. The koopaling took a quick look at the last page to get Lemmy's full name which was Flemington Hitchcock Acrean. He returned into the corridor.

"Phew, that was the last of them." A familiar voice echoed through the corridors.

Larry recognized the voice. It was Lemmy. He walked faster into the corridor. To think he would finally meet his brother Lemmy after the incident was amazing for the punk. His hopes, however, turned into fear when a screech echoed through the corridors. He started running. He could not take the risk. He had to reach Lemmy quick but…

"Papa, what happened to you!? This can't be happening!" Lemmy's voice gasped.

"LEMMY, GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Larry screamed at his loudest in an attempt to warn his brother about the danger.

There was no response. Larry ran as fast as he could but it was too late. He heard someone being slashed then Lemmy screaming in pain for a brief moment. The sound echoed inside Larry's mind. Right after that, screams of agony echoed through the corridors. He finally got to where Lemmy was, the throne room, but all he could see was a mass of blue-purple flames standing. There was no sign of Dry Bowser. He vanished just like he appeared. The flames vanished and revealed a small dry creature. Larry fell on his knees when he saw the skeleton. The dry creature saw him and screeched. It tried to use its magic to gather all the bones in the Iceland Palace but all the other dry creatures were already destroyed. The punk looked at the dry creature desperately trying to build a bone mutant with its powers. The show made him sick and he had enough of it very quickly. He stood back up and rolled the ball toward the dry creature.

"I'm sorry, Lemmy. I wish I could've saved you." Larry cried.

The ball caught the monster's attention who grabbed it. He stared at it for a while and looked back at the koopaling. It approached him, still holding the ball.

"Larry?" The dry creature said.

The monster started brightening in a light so powerful that it blinded Larry. At the same time, he relived one of his treasured memories.

 _A few weeks before the big day, during a weekend, Larry returned to the Koopa Castle like he usually would every other weekend. He was walking down the throne room toward Bowser's office to deliver his weekly report on Grassland's status. As he walked toward the throne, he heard some voice._

" _All systems are green. We're ready for takeoff. Co-pilot, start countdown."_

" _Takeoff in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, BLAST OFF!"_

 _Larry recognized Lemmy and Junior's voices. From behind the throne, a bullet bill-shaped kart drove out and drove around in the throne room. Because it was moving too fast, Larry was not able to see how they were placed inside the kart. It then stopped near the punk. Junior was driving the kart while Lemmy was grabbing after a bar and standing up._

" _YAY! That was awesome! Let's do that again, Lemmy!" Junior proposed._

" _Hold on, bro! I gotta talk to Larry. Drive to the courtyard and I'll join you there." Lemmy told Junior._

 _Lemmy got off the vehicle. Larry noticed that the small koopaling now had orange lines tattooed on the side or his head. The prince nodded and drove away from the two koopalings._

" _Nice ride, did Iggy built it for you two?" Larry asked._

 _Lemmy looked at Larry._

" _Yeah, he calls it a Bullet Blaster and it goes very fast!" He replied._

" _You wanted to tell me something?"_

" _Yes, I finally decided to leave the castle. You taught me that we can't always go right but we can also go left whenever it no longer works. You also taught me that I should never see a change negatively at first and that I should take the time to properly judge it. I want to thank you, Larry, for changing me for the better."_

 _Lemmy went to his big little brother and hugged him._

"Yay, Larry!"

The light faded away and Larry found himself hugging a specter of Lemmy. They released each other and stared at each other. Lemmy had his big smile but it quickly vanished and he became sad. He started crying and hugged the punk again.

"What's wrong, Lemmy?" Larry asked.

"I'm sorry, Larry. I'm so sorry." Lemmy replied.

"Listen, if it's about the orphanage, I forgive you. It's been a long time ago and…"

"You don't understand. Your sign language, I actually understood it and I always misinterpreted it on purpose to make fun of you back at the orphanage."

His body started emitting particles of light. Lemmy noticed them.

"Is Iggy alright?" He asked.

"Don't worry. He's at the Mushroom Castle, safe and sound." Larry reassured.

"I don't wanna go but I have to but, before I leave, please keep this with you." Lemmy said as he handed his big little brother a light orb that went into him.

He slowly started vanishing and the punk waved goodbye at him until Lemmy completely disappeared.

"Please, take good care of Iggy for me. I'll be watching you." Lemmy's voice echoed.

Larry closed his eyes and paused for a moment. He felt regretful that he could not save Lemmy. This moment was however interrupted when…

"So that's what Kraig was talking about."

The koopaling looked around him and saw Riley sat down near a wall, still as broken as when Larry left Lemmy's house, with Dry Bowser standing next to him doing absolutely nothing.

"I also wanted to say that I'm sorry about Roy. I really thought he was alive but Kraig told me that the one I saw was just an imposter while the real one was already gone since the incident." The alien said.

"Why do you do this?" Larry asked.

"First of, I needed to experiment Bowser on someone immune to see if he could actually infect them. Then, I envy you, Larry. I envy you and the great life you had."

"I don't imagine myself being someone's idol for a lifestyle. Mario would fit that portrait better."

"Is it because he had the perfect life that I should envy him? That's the problem. He went through nothing compared to us." Riley chuckled.

"Don't include me with you." Larry threatened.

"Are we that different? We were both born as orphans and we went through misery. The biggest difference is that someone pulled you out of that misery while someone pushed me deeper inside."

"Are you and Kraig really brothers?"

"I suppose you met him between our two meetings, this one and the Woodland one. There's no denying it. MOM adopted us two. She almost adopted me only but I wanted to be with Kraig. During my interview, I threatened her that I wouldn't go anywhere without him."

"How was your relationship between you and him?"

"For me, it was the best thing I ever had in my entire life. When I first met him, everyone used to make fun of him because he was bigger than any other kids and he did not act like a bully. He believed he could reason with everyone. I wouldn't doubt he'd be able to kill someone with one punch. That's where I stepped in and we became friends. The bond became stronger and we ended up inseparable. Then, MOM adopted us. At first, she was the caring mother like anyone else would be but once we became much older we were forced into her gang of space pirates. She kept our true relationship a secret to her minions and told me and Kraig to do the same. To her subjects' eyes, we were just workers of a different race until we rose in rank. Kraig eventually stayed as a senior scientist while I rose up to second-in-command until recently. Yeah, you're looking at the new boss of MOM. Then I realized that I didn't want to be a leader. I just wanted what was right for Kraig but he left me."

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know anymore. He left after I did the unthinkable."

"What's that unthinkable you did?"

"What was best for him."

There was a brief moment of silence. Larry was not sure what to think of Riley anymore. He followed that one path because MOM forced him to. If it wasn't for her, where would he and Kraig end up? A better place, obviously. For once, the punk pitied a monster, one that only wished to free a good-willed person.

"Hey, you think you can do the same you did with Lemmy but with your dad?" Riley curiously asked.

Larry looked at Dry Bowser and looked back at the pterodactyl. What if it was a trap?

"Don't worry. He won't bite you unless I order him to." Riley calmly reassured.

The koopaling did not want to obey him but maybe he could free his father right there right now. He searched in his sidepack and pulled out the locket. He opened it and showed it to the dry creature. The latter leaned forward to have a better look at the picture inside it. No light came from Bowser's body but a tear fell from one of its empty eyes. Larry put the locket back inside the sidepack while Dry Bowser stood back up. The locket did make him react but not enough to free him. Larry would have to find something else.

"I doubt you're the only thing your dad holds dear. I'm sure he cherishes you and your siblings equally." Riley declared.

The punk sat next to the pterodactyl.

"How was your relationship with your siblings?" Riley asked.

"It wasn't until Bowser adopted us that we started liking each other. Before, they would make fun of me because I couldn't speak at my age. After the adoption, they were uncomfortable to be with me during the first weeks because we were now in the same family and they feared that Bowser would ground them." The koopaling answered.

"I see. Why Lemmy apologised to you about the orphanage was because of how he and your other siblings mistreated you… Listen, Larry. I have to go. Before, though, I'll give you something." The alien told to Larry.

Riley handed the punk a suitcase.

"Once you're done looking after your siblings, you can use this portable teleporter to get into my ship. My crew will be expecting you anytime so don't worry about having to deal with them. I won't send Dry Bowser after your last sibling. I'll let you see him if he's still alive." Riley said.

He snapped his finger and Dry Bowser vanished into a blue sphere that made an electrical explosion. Riley, however, chose to walk down the throne room but not before stopping midway.

"May I ask you a favor?" The alien asked.

"I'm not too fond to perform favors for my enemies." The punk replied.

"Please, if you ever see Kraig, take him under your wing. Like that, I'll know he's in good hands."

Riley left through the corridor. His footsteps echoed through the empty vast rooms until they died down. Larry thought about the kind of life the space duo could have if they were adopted by someone else. His silver started glowing as well as his sidepack. He summoned his five-stone wand and pulled out the green wand of his sidepack. He merged the two items together to form a new wand with six stones. Only one wand was left and, to parallel that, only one sibling was left. Larry stood up and left the throne room. He passed by the ice sculpture of the giant snowflake but before he could reach the exit…

"Can you spell me hypocrite?"

Larry looked behind him and saw the shadowy silhouette leaning on the ice sculpture.

"I forgot to mention that back in Skyland: It would've been great to see you tear the imposter apart. I had the popcorn ready just for that. Pity that some squeaky balloon stopped you before you could murder the bastard. You were given the ultimate tool against Dry Bowser but decided to use it on that little pest you call your libra. Don't think it won't bite you back in the shell, idiot. I was also hyped to see someone turning into a dry creature when the penguins mentioned that your so-called brother Lemmy was still alive. I guess I shouldn't have prepared the popcorn so soon. You disappoint me, Larry. I thought you could actually get the job done but I guess you're just not in your domain. Don't worry. It happens to anyone. Last but least, I was expecting Riley to kill you back at Lemmy's house. At least, I wouldn't have to blame you for your poor decision-making skills. I suppose even villains can have some humanity but I call those anti-heroes instead. I was expecting him to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours. How long will you wait before ditching everyone and claim what is yours? We shall see…"

The silhouette vanished, leaving behind laughers. The statue started moving. Larry was afraid to have to fight the monster. He had little hope left and the snowflake would easily prey on him. Fortunately, the statue just fell off his stand. The punk sighed out in relief and left the Iceland Palace. He got back to his bike and drove all the way to the Mushroom Castle. The sun was setting when he arrived. He went inside and immediately rushed downstairs to the laboratory. Once there, he was Elvin working on Geno while Iggy was giving something to the inklings.

"There you go, guys, these new splat guns should allow you to fight those dry creatures." Iggy claimed.

"Thanks, sir! We'll clean the whole city from them. You'll see!" The inklings replied.

"I don't doubt it. If you excuse me, I have an emergency."

The inkling left the laboratory. The punk went to see his big brother.

"How's Starlow?" He worryingly asked.

"Phew, it's a good thing your friends brought her here right away. We were about to lose her. She's gonna make it but it'll take a while. She won't be able to come on your next journey sadly."

Larry took a look at the star sprite. She had her eyes closed but her body was restored.

"Have you seen Lemmy?" Iggy asked.

"I'm sorry, bro. He got infected. He was still alive when I got there but I couldn't reach him in time. I freed him and he asked me to take good care of you."

"Don't blame yourself, Larry. You did your best. At least, I'm glad that he's not aimlessly roaming in a desolate place."

"I wanted to save him!"

"We all want to save each other…"

Iggy paused for a moment.

"Do you remember when I got sad?"

"What was going on this time?"

"I think I found out why I got sad and why it took me a while before I could smile again. I think it was because I always focused on what is real rather than what could exist. Of course, this vision can work with people like Elvin Gadd but it wasn't for me. When you gave me that new haircut, it relieved my mind and body and I got excited. I'll work more on Starlow before going to sleep."

Larry wasn't sure to understand but at least his big brother did. He looked at Geno.

"My condolences, Larry. Lemmy was indeed the other koopaling immune to the virus. I am sorry to hear he did not make it." The puppet mourned.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I don't have much hope left anymore anyway. Ludwig's gonna be a dry creature when I get to him." Larry said.

"Do not despair, Larry. I have heard that Pipeland is intact just like Woodland."

Larry nodded. He left the laboratory and went to the girls' bedroom. Rosalina was already installed inside. She was welcome by the other girls.

"Wow, you look a lot like Peach." The inkling girl said.

"Those hairs are so beautiful." Birdo complimented.

"I love that little star that follows you. It's adorable." Isabelle commented.

"Thank you, everyone, I'm looking forward to reside with you. I will take a walk under the stars and I'll return here for sleep."

The punk went to his room. Before he went to sleep, he noticed that his little brother was not in his bed. He went looking for him in the castle. He could not find him. He got outside, in the backyard, but Junior wasn't there. He finally decided to go to the front yard. Larry spotted the prince sat near the river next to a manhole. He hid behind a tree near him. He heard his little brother singing:

" **Wish for peace;**

 **Wish for dream;**

 **Wish for love;**

 **You are gone;**

 **Without saying goodbye."**

It was obvious that Junior was still missing Bowser. To think about it, what remained of the koopa family did not take much time to mourn the former Koopa King. They were all busy with all sorts of thing. Larry was about to go see him but he spotted Rosalina walking down the dirt path toward his libra.

"You have a nice singing voice for a child." The girl complimented.

"Oh, hello, misses Rosy. I still think about my papa." The prince said.

"What happened to him?"

"He passed away."

Rosalina sat next to Junior. She put her hand on the prince's head.

"It reminds me of when I once helped a luma a long time ago. I left my house to help it search for its mother. I got so carried away and I was gone for so long that when I returned home my parents were gone."

"You lost your parents too? I never got to know my mama."

"Is there something you know of your mother?"

"I only know her name which was Clawdia but that was because one of my big brothers told me. I doubt that anyone actually saw her."

There was a moment of silence. Larry knew more about Junior's mother after Popple told him his story.

"Can I hear the rest of the song?" Rosalina asked.

The prince nodded and continued singing:

" **Starry night;**

 **I can still see the light;**

 **You're saved;**

 **And I think of you tonight.**

 **Soon, the dawn will come again;**

 **But what have I got?**

 **What has it cost me?**

 **I can feel you are near;**

 **Within me, outer space, here and there;**

 **Tell me please. How much we have to bleed?**

 **When we'll get the land of dream;**

 **After lonely bitter days.**

 **Now, I can still see the light;**

 **You're saved;**

 **And I think of you tonight.**

 **Soon, the dawn will come again;**

 **But what have I got?**

 **What has it cost me?**

 **Why can I still see the light?**

 **You're saved;**

 **Though you are now out of sight.**

 **Soon, the dawn will come again;**

 **But what have I got?**

 **What has it cost me?"**

Larry recognized the song. He heard it when Ludwig just beat a videogame but he did not remember what the game's name was.

"Listen, to comfort you, I can tell you a bedtime story." Rosalina proposed.

Junior nodded.

"Alright, I just need to go back to my ship to get my book. Which room do you stay in?" She asked.

"When you'll enter the castle, take the first door to the left. The door has a star but no number on like the others."

The girl stood up and left to her ship. Junior remained sat for a bit. The punk went to see him.

"Hey, Junior, I know we didn't spend enough time to mourn our dad. Do you want us to take a moment of silence for him?" He asked.

Junior stood up and went to hug his big brother.

"Why did he have to go so soon? Kamek wanted to ask him to give him a second chance but we couldn't find him and he was gone when we knew his whereabouts."

"I can't tell, Junior."

"Larry… Can I come with you on your next adventure?"

There was uncertainty in Larry's mind. He saw that neither Starlow nor Geno would be able to follow him on his next journey. Anyone else would be too busy with restoring the Mushroom Kingdom. Larry would agree to bring his libra to Pipeland, the last land to check, but he needed to know Junior's motive.

"Why do you want to go with me this time but not the others?" The punk asked.

"I want to see Ludwig."

Off course, Ludwig rarely was with the little prince. He left the very same day Junior hatched. He had all the reasons in the world to just leave everyone behind to make his own life and to completely ignore the new child. However, Larry was not sure if Ludwig was still alive. He did not want to be too optimistic about the idea.

"Does he hate me?" His libra asked.

"I don't know. Why would he hate you?" The punk asked back.

"Does he think that I stole everything from him? Do you think that he wanted to be the next Koopa King but my presence ruined his dream?"

"He gave up on that dream a long time before you were born. He must've had another reason to leave the castle."

Larry knew why Ludwig left the castle when Junior was born. He would keep it a secret until the time came. They went back inside the castle to their room. Rosalina was sitting on a chair next to Junior's bed, holding a book. The prince went to sleep while the punk just got in his bed. He listened to the story about a young girl that did her best to help a star search for its mother and ended up forging a new family with the stars. This little girl would visit her home world every century. He realized that Rosalina was telling her story. He slowly closed his eyes and went to sleep. Tomorrow, he would have to ask Kamek to let him bring Junior on his next journey. There was one last sibling to meet, the one he held the dearest before Junior came into his life.

 **END OF ACT 6**


	28. Chapter 7-1

**ACT 7: THE LAST OF US**

 **Chapter 7-1: Last Wish**

 _ **Larry found himself in an odd position. He was standing up, holding someone while the person held him. A light brightened a small space around them. The rest of the place was filled with darkness. He slowly backed up a little bit and saw that he was holding Ludwig. His big brother's eyes were wide open, same for the mouth.**_

" _ **You… Killed… Me…" Ludwig whispered.**_

 _ **Those words frightened Larry. The punk slowly looked around him and saw that he was holding a sword that went through Ludwig's chest. Blood sullied the cloth around the sword. He screamed in terror and released the sword but it stayed stuck inside his brother. He backed up while Ludwig fell on his knees. The latter stared at the sword stuck in his body and took some blood that was dripping from the fatal wound. He looked back at Larry, enraged.**_

" _ **You… Killed me." Ludwig said again.**_

" _ **I'm sorry, Ludwig! I didn't mean to! I don't know what happened or what took me!" Larry replied out of fear.**_

 _ **Blue flames emanated from Ludwig's wound. He did not scream of pain. He was already dying to do so. The flames completely covered the wounded koopaling and Larry stood there, horrified. There was nothing the latter could do now. His big brother was gone. The blue flames slowly extinguished themselves to reveal a dry creature.**_

" _ **YOU KILLED ME!" The creature shouted in a distorted Ludwig's voice.**_

 _ **Larry got startled and tried to run into the darkness to escape the monster but, as soon as he almost reached it, skeletal arms reached out for him and held him. He was brought back to the dry creature but what disturbed Larry even more was to see his siblings, all turned into dry creatures, emerging from the darkness. The monsters surrounded the punk and what used to be Ludwig.**_

" _ **TRAITOR!" The dry creatures kept screaming.**_

 _ **The dry creature in front of the punk pulled out the sword that was stuck in his ribcage and pointed it at Larry. The latter could not break free. His arms were held tightly. The monster thrust the sword into Larry's chest. The punk felt the pain and wanted to scream but one of the dry creatures put a skeletal hand on his mouth. His wound produced blue flames. He was slowly joining them while the monsters laughed. The flames covered his sight and…**_

"Wake up, boss! I got a letter for you, see?"

Larry woke up and saw Popple holding a letter.

"Woah, you must be a deep sleeper to wake up all screaming like that, see? Anyway, some guy gave me that letter saying it's for you, boss." Popple said as he handed Larry the letter.

The bean guy left the room. The punk examined the letter. He had no idea who would send him a letter in a time of crisis. He opened it and took out the message that read as follow:

"To the runner-up of the F3,

It has been a long time since the tournament and I want to see if you have improved between then and now. Meet me at the dojo on Starman Street as soon as you can.

The grandmaster of fighting."

He could not believe it. The winner of the F3 wanted a rematch against him but why? The grandmaster won against Larry. There was no point for him to ask for a rematch. However, Larry did not care about the rematch but who the grandmaster was. He quickly stood up of his bed and put his clothes back on. His little brother, Junior, just entered the room.

"Hi, Larry, I asked Kamek if I could come with you to Pipeland and he agreed at one condition: I need to take some advance in my homeworks since I won't be at the castle to attend his classes." Junior stated.

"That's great, Junior, but I have something to do before we go. In my absence, pack yourself a backpack. I'll be back shortly to check it." The punk replied.

Larry took his sidepack and left the room. In the main hall, Peach and Rosalina were having a conversation:

"You look a lot like me." Peach started.

"Yes, you remind me of my mother." Rosalina pointed out.

"What happened to her?"

"I do not know. I was gone from home a long time ago and when I returned she vanished, her and my father."

"It must have been hard to go through that."

"It was but, with the lumas as my new family, I got over it and visit my home planet every century."

Larry did not care though. He rushed outside and went to the Mushroom City. He ran down the many streets. Some parts of the city were still infested with dry creatures. Oddly enough, Popple had already returned on the streets cleaning them from the monsters with Birdo's help. The punk waved at them and the duo waved back at him. The koopaling kept running for a short time until he reached the dojo in question. Wooden planks blocked the large windows and the door had its lock broken. The place was abandoned years ago and no one ever bothered to restore the building or to demolish it. This dojo used to belong to an old toad that taught many martial arts but passed away a long time ago. The dojo shortly closed its door after the owner's departure. Larry opened the door and slowly entered the building. A few floodlights were placed to illuminate the main room. A display with a single trophy on the shelf was standing on the other wide of the vast room. The punk walked to the middle of the room. The door closed itself. Larry looked back at the door and saw the grandmaster of fighting, his inspiration, his idol, his motivation outside of his family. To him, the F3 was not just a mere tournament. It was a chance to surpass the grandmaster, to rise above him. The grandmaster was close to a god. It was…

"Mario…" Larry whispered.

Larry remembered when he confronted the legendary jumpman at the final of the F3. He heard from the other competitors, who fought him, that they would get beaten by a single punch from the red plumber. The punk, on the other hand, was tough, both by mind and body. Despite enduring all the attacks, he could never land a single blow on Mario. The jumpman was too quick on his feet. In the end, he got second place in the F3. Today was a different day though. There was no hype. They were the two only persons in the dojo. The fight would remain unseen by the world. Even if Larry beat Mario, it would not mean anything. It did not matter for him. He got over it and with the current situation he could not bring himself to fight someone that could be a friend. However, another memory of his past resurfaced the one when he met the plumber for the first time.

 _During the big vacation project, Bowser made a change in the schedule and decided to bring his children to the Mushroom Castle before going to Grassland and so on. It was supper time. The Koopa King was sat at one end of a long table while the Mushroom King was on the other side of the table. The Mushroom king passed away a year before Junior's birth due to an assassination plan executed by a mysterious witch. Princess Peach, who was in a white dress, was sat next to his father while Mario, wearing a white suit, was facing her. A year after she was introduced to the koopalings, she eventually realized that Bowser only wanted to have his own family and that his kind was at the border of extinction. Mario's little brother, Luigi, was also next to him with Daisy facing him on the other side of the table. Bowser's children sat around him, with Larry and Ludwig occupying the two nearest places to their father. They were eating the finest meal royalties could ever have. Larry took a bite of his meal but he felt that it lacked salt. He looked around him and even had to lean forward because of all the people on his left that were blocking his sight. He spotted a salt shaker far away from here, in front of one of the two plumbers. He got off his seat but Bowser noticed him._

" _Where are you going, Larry?" His father asked._

" _I need some salt on my dish." The punk answered._

" _You know you can just ask it instead of walking around."_

 _Larry looked away. Even though he learned to speak fluidly, he was still too timid to raise his voice and ask away._

" _Should I ask for the salt?" Bowser asked._

 _Larry moaned quietly._

" _Alright, I'll let you go get the salt shaker yourself but don't bother anyone for too long." The Koopa King sighed._

 _The youngest koopaling walked away from his father and toward the plumbers. The closer he got to them, the more anxious he became. Once he reached them, he stood still, too afraid to ask them anything. He mustered his courage._

" _Excuse me, mister. May I have the salt shaker please?" Larry timidly asked._

 _The short plumber's attention was caught. He looked behind him and saw the child. He smiled at him and handed him the salt shaker. Larry looked at the plumber and smiled back. The other plumber looked behind and saw the two smiling at each other. This small scene caught everyone's attention._

" _Ho oh, I see you've met Mario. He's a good friend of your father. Why don't you present yourself to him?" The Mushroom King proposed._

 _The punk was timid at first but, when Mario took him in his arms and put him on his laps, he felt comfortable to speak._

" _I'm Larry." The child said._

 _Mario could not speak so he took a pen out of his vest and wrote down his name on a napkin._

" _Mario here has saved the world a few times, an exploit that almost no one could ever do in a lifetime. Did you know that he once saved the world with the help of your father and my daughter? In fact, his acts of heroism have made me and the other royalties of the continent rename it after him, Amarioca, and the world was renamed the Mario World." The king explained._

 _(Wow… I wanna be a hero like him. I'll become strong and, when I grow up, I'll save the day from any danger. One day, I'll confront Mario face to face to see who the strongest person in the Mario World is. One day, I'll save the world with him and the others.) Larry dreamed._

Larry snapped out of it and looked at Mario. He had many dreams but he slowly forgot about them when his little brother was born, a dream of a lifetime for him. The dream of surpassing Mario, however, came back when he heard he made the F3 and would attend it every year. The F3 started around a year after Junior's birth. Mario was standing there with a plain look on his face. His eyes were half closed.

"Mario, we don't have to do this right now. The world needs you, us. We should just forget the F3 for now and focus on what truly matters." The punk said.

The jumpman did not listen. He unleashed a punch toward him but Larry barely avoided it. It was clear that he wanted a fight. The koopaling would give him one he would never forget. Larry prepared himself and assumed a standard combat stance, one that he learned from his training as a spy many years ago when he was taught about the basics of CQC. He already fought Mario before but he could not land anything of the legendary jumpman. He had to first analyse what his foe was capable before acting. Only problem is that Mario did not act at all. He was waiting after Larry to attack him. This frustrated the punk because he could not play too defensively or too offensively. No extreme would help him win this time. He unleashed a few punches to try to study his opponent. Obviously, Mario blocked them all. He did not punch back though. A few punches later, Larry thought of something. He first prepared to punch with his left fist. He saw that Mario was ready to block it. The punk quickly caught the plumber by surprise by using his right fist to quickly punch him in the face. The impact caused Mario to be disoriented long enough to allow the koopaling to land a more powerful attack. With his left fist, Larry punched right into Mario's stomach. It worked. The jumpman was not able to block the attack. The plumber regained back his balance and smiled at Larry. That was when the hero of Amarioca began fighting back. He was aggressive but the punk managed to grab one of his arms and throw him into a wall. The plumber was no joke. Having received multiple heroic titles, it would be obvious that he knew how to fight. A few punches and a single throw into a wall was not enough to bring him down. Larry would have to think about something else. He already had something in mind but it was a last resort or only against slow opponent but Mario was not slow. He would have to turn the situation into a critical time or find some other way. The fight went on and on but neither Mario nor Larry was starting to get tired. The punk finally noticed something from his adversary's fighting style. He pressed on his luck and acted. He first forced Mario to block a mindless punch attack but feinted and instead delivered a palm strike into the opponent's chest to push him back. Mario lost his balance and could not block anything else for a brief moment. It was the best opportunity for the punk. He jumped into the air and delivered his signature dropkick into the plumber, sending him flying into the wall head first. Mario did not lose consciousness but was too weakened to keep fighting. He raised his hand as a sign to stop, begging Larry to do the same. The latter listened to the sign. Larry did it. After all those years, he finally surpassed his idol. He rose above the godlike jumpman but he did not feel any form of accomplishment somehow.

"Alright, let's bring you to the castle and get you patched up. We've following a plan to restore the world with the royal artifacts and we need you to help us with that. Peach and Luigi are at the castle and have been looking for you since the incident." Larry explained as he helped Mario to get back on his feet.

The plumber went to the display and took out the trophy from it. He gave it to his opponent. It was the trophy of the winner of the Freestyle Fighting Festival. It had Mario's name carved on the bottom of it.

"I can't accept that, Mario. You earned it. What took you to ask for a rematch? How could you lose against me?" The punk asked.

Mario did not say anything. He rolled his collar, revealing a pendant around his neck. He took it off his neck and gave it to his friend. It was the Star Pendant, the royal treasure of the Mushroom Kingdom. The golden chained pendant had a starman on it. After giving it to Larry, the latter noticed small blue flames coming out of his neck.

"No… It can't be. How did you get infected? Was that why you wanted a rematch to see if I became stronger before you would leave? NO! Don't give up like that! You're the man that saved the world so many times! You can't just give away your title to someone else like that, especially not me! We'll cure you from this disgusting virus. We'll…" The punk started.

Mario simply put his hand on the koopaling's shoulder. He closed his eyes and nodded sideway. It was too late for him. He was turning and there was nothing anyone could do to save him anymore. He reached the point of non-return. He shredded a single tear and handed Larry his iconic red cap with a folded piece of paper in it. The flames started covering all his body. The punk guessed that he wanted to scream in pain but he could only cry. Larry did not stay to watch him completely turn into a dry creature. He walked out the ruined dojo and away. He could only think of quote he heard when Ludwig was playing a video game:

(I had lived my life the only way that I had known. But when the pillars of that life came crashing down, I did not stand and watch them fall. I turned, and walked away.)

He headed to the Mushroom Castle. Before he could cross the bridge to enter it, Iggy just got out of the castle to take a walk with Chompy.

"Ah, Larry, I've been looking for you, bro. Starlow just woke up. She's gonna be fine but I suggest that you let her rest." His big brother said.

He then noticed the red cap.

"Did you actually meet Mario? Where is he?" The big brother asked.

Larry did not answer. He closed his eyes, lowered his head and walked in the castle. His big brother understood that Mario was gone. Once inside, Larry saw Peach talking to Luigi. They were both at the same place at the worst possible time. The two looked at the punk and saw the red cap in his hand. Luigi ran toward him and kneeled down to be at the koopaling's height.

"You met Mario? Where is he?" The tall plumber desperately asked.

"There's only one thing you can do for him, Luigi: Free him by presenting him his cap. He's at the abandoned dojo on Starman Street." The punk said.

Luigi took the cap but left the folded piece of paper with Larry and left the castle. The punk went to sit down on the stairs, staring at the Star Pendant. Peach sat next to him.

"I'm sorry, princess, I couldn't save him." Larry apologised.

"It doesn't matter. When I heard from Luigi that he got kidnapped, I lost all hope to ever see him again. At least, he returned here with the last hours he had to live. I thank you for doing your best to look after him." She said.

"It seems that hope is slowly leaving all of us. I already have no more hope left for Ludwig. Speaking of Mario, since when did he hold on to the Star Pendant?"

"I gave him as a gift after we saved the world a long time ago."

"When Geno helped you two and Bowser?"

"Indeed, Smithy took over Amarioca a year after your father once kidnapped me."

"Speaking of him, how did you see him?"

"You father changed a lot over the years. He went from a heartless tyrant to the most caring king the Koopa Kingdom ever had."

They talked a little longer about Mario and Bowser. Larry unfolded the paper that Mario gave which read as follow:

"I'm counting on you."

Why would Mario put so much faith in a child let alone Larry? Even if the punk was strong and beat the plumber, he was far from being him. Why would he not put that much faith in his little brother? Was it because he did not want anything to happen to him? Was it because he did not consider him worthy of such grand task? The answer would remain a mystery.

"Do you remember when you eavesdropped on me and your father?" Peach brought up.

Larry did remember that moment, when Peach received something from Bowser but denied it to him.

 _On the fifth year celebration of peace between the two kingdoms, Peach invited all the royalties at her castle as always. When the party died down, Larry went for a walk in the garden behind the castle. The garden filled with many trees and plants also had a fountain in the middle with a statue of a starman at its center to commemorate Geno's aid during the Smith War, an event where Smithy took over Amarioca. He spotted the princess sat down on a bench facing the fountain. It did not interest him to speak with her. However, he spotted his father bringing a bottle of champagne with two glasses. The Koopa King sat right next to Peach and gave her a glass so they could drink champagne. The punk hid behind a tree and listened to what they had to say to each other._

" _It's been five years… Since Junior was born." Bowser's voice sighed._

" _So far, you're doing a great job at raising him." Peach's voice reassured._

" _I know but I wanted a complete family for my children. Perhaps his birth without a mother around is what made my other children leave the castle so soon."_

 _Larry heard his father crying._

" _Why did it have to be that way? I know I'm not the best person in the world but I changed for the better, right?" Bowser's voice cried._

" _Yes, you did. You impressed not only me but also every royalty in Amarioca. They're looking up to you as what a ruler should be. What happened to Junior's mother?" Peach's voice comforted._

 _There was a brief moment of silence. Larry knew it was a sore spot for Bowser. He did not speak directly to anyone about the mother and would never dare to. He knew that the king was hesitating to say it._

" _I'm sorry. I can't tell you anything about her. I'm afraid that someone would hear us."_

" _Do you mean Larry?"_

" _Yes, he tends to know more than he should. I don't want him to change but I want him to know what he should not know. So, I'll give you this instead."_

 _Another moment of silence occurred._

" _Tell me: Before Junior was born, Larry used to be a spy working for you. Why did he stop all of a sudden?" Peach's voice asked._

" _He once came to see me in my office the day after Junior was born. He told me that he wanted to quit the job. It was then that I knew what was going on with him, why he accepted the job right away when I proposed him when he was just five: He was envious of his siblings and he feared that he would be overshadowed by them since he was the youngest in the family. He took the job to surpass them. My other children never did anything crazy like Larry did. When Junior was born, he completely changed. He did not want his job to give him a bad name. He wanted to be a good bog brother for Junior so I agreed to dismiss him. I realized that he had a dream to have a little brother. What took me to propose him that in the first place? I can feel that he has some remorse."_

" _Aren't you afraid that the same thing will happen to Junior?"_

" _It won't. Larry is already doing a great job to make Junior distinguish himself. It's as if he was in a family before I adopted him."_

 _The conversation went on but nothing of interest was said afterward. An hour later, Bowser stood up and left the princess alone and brought the two glasses and the empty bottle with him. When the father was out of sight, Larry came out of his hiding spot and went to see Peach._

" _What did he give you?" The punk asked._

" _He just gave me champagne. I think I'll go back inside." The princess replied._

 _It was obvious that Peach wanted to drive the subject away. She went back inside. Larry sighed and closed his eyes."_

"He gave me this." Peach told the koopaling as she handed him a photo.

The colored photo had Bowser and a female necrean on it. The female was exactly like how Popple described Clawdia: The long flamboyant hairs, the shiny scarlet lips, the jewelry on her neck and hands. It was Clawdia, Junior's deceased mother. Larry hugged the princess and the latter hugged him back as well as kissing him on the forehead.

"Is it what having a mother feels like? The soothing voice, the caring gestures, dad kept telling me a lot about mothers and how he wanted to complete our family. I'm sure you saw him after she lost Clawdia. He never attempted to get married ever again after losing her. He felt he was unworthy of having a wife." Larry whispered.

"I know…" Peach simply whispered back.

The punk could make this moment last any longer but he had things to do today. He stood up and went to the girls' bedroom's door to knock on it. Isabelle answered the door.

"Hi, Larry! Sorry if it took longer than expected to prepare the next peace treaty renewal. Pipeland has strict border laws and I have to prepare some papers to allow you to enter the city. Speaking of papers, you forgot to take the ones for Iceland. Don't worry. Mother Penguin chose to reside here and signed them. I hope you have your passport with you." Isabelle explained as he handed his boss an entry permit with a treaty renewal contract.

"Can you also prepare another entry permit for Bowser Jr? I'll bring him with me." Larry asked.

"Sure thing, it'll be done in a few minutes."

Larry headed downstairs into the laboratory to check on the star sprites. Starlow just woke up while Elvin was still working on Geno.

"Hey Starlow, how are you holding up?" The punk asked.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry if I got myself injured." Starlow replied.

"Don't blame yourself. I was too surprised to do anything against Riley."

"Speaking of Riley, how did you manage to survive his encounter?"

"I don't know. First, he couldn't bring himself to kill me and told me to head to the Iceland Palace. Then, I met him there and… He changed. He said something about having done the unthinkable."

"What do you think he did? That must've been what changed him."

"I'm not sure but it didn't involve Kraig. He left him. He only said what was right for him."

"I see. I'll rest here while you go check on your last sibling. I suppose you dreamt about him."

"Yeah…"

Larry remembered the dream he had. He wanted to believe that he would not murder his eldest brother. He brushed the thought away and waved goodbye at his friends. He went back upstairs to his room where Junior had a backpack ready. He was wearing a raincoat with his bib over it. Kamek handed the prince his passport.

"There, Junior's ready to go, Larry. Are you sure you want to do that? I'm afraid he might get himself hurt." Kamek asked.

"I don't have much of a choice. He insisted on coming with me and no one else can. I have all the papers to enter the city. Wish me luck on finding Ludwig." The punk answered.

"Alright then, just make sure he does his homework. It's important that he learns how to be a king."

The magikoopa left the room. Larry and Junior were ready to go. The punk put his sunglasses back on his eyes and left the castle with his libra. They took Larry's bike and drove away of the castle, toward Pipeland… Toward the last of them… Toward an unfortunate demise…


	29. Chapter 7-2

**Chapter 7-2: A Link between Worlds**

Since Kamek prepared Junior's backpack, Larry entrusted that the magikoopa packed the bag with everything the prince would need on his journey. They drove a few miles before spotting a few dry creatures. The punk stopped the bike and the two travellers got off.

"Why did we stop, Larry? We're still far away from Pipeland." Junior asked.

"I wanna see if you can defend yourself from any dry creature. I hope you brought yourself a weapon." His big brother replied.

The prince took his backpack and pulled out a retractable baton.

"And easily portable, that's even better. Now, you see those dry creatures over there? Pick one and show me what you can do." Larry ordered.

Junior nodded and extended his baton. He approached one of the dry creatures, who spotted him. The prince hit the monster's knee with his baton, breaking it and making the creature fall on his belly. It was still alive but Junior proceeded to repeatedly smash the skull until the monster no longer moved..

"I'm impressed. Where did you learn to fight like that? I don't recall having taught you anything like that." Larry asked.

"While you were looking for our siblings, I'd follow Poppy and help him with his job until you announced us that Bowser passed away. After that, I had to do classes from Kammy so I was rarely outside helping Poppy and Birdie."

Thought Junior was referring people Larry might have never heard of, the latter knew who the prince was mentioning. It was a tendency for the prince to pronounce everyone's name with a "y" or "ie" at the end.

"Now you show me what you can do!" Junior said, excited.

The koopaling looked around and saw a few dry creatures wandering. He went to them, grabbed one by the arm and threw it into the others. The monster got into one pile of broken bones. Junior applauded and laughed. They did not stay here for too long though. They got back on the bike and went back on their way to their destination. They went through Grassland and Woodland before eventually reaching Pipeland. On their way, they met some shy guy patrols. King Wart spread his army all over the lands that renewed the peace treaty to offer them protection against the dry creature considering how shy guys were not affected by the virus. Though Pipeland had a totalitarian government, the borders between lands did not have high security. When they arrived at the border, only one piranha plant and a wiggler were standing duty.

"Good afternoon, guys!" The wiggler greeted.

"Hi, we're here to go to Pipeland City." Larry replied.

"I hope you have all the papers required to get in. They have a new ruler now and the rules became stricter than ever. He even went as far as shutting down pipeline services and communications that got outside the land." The piranha plant warned.

"What happened to King Petey?"

"We don't know. During the big day, he went on his daily walk outside the city but he never came back. We looked everywhere but there were no signs of him. To make things worse, some terrorist posing as a Space Federation member attempted an attack on the Pipeland Maze with some sort of blue gas but we managed to contain the gas. Don't worry. The city is intact, same for most of the maze. With the king gone, we had to find another ruler in case he was permanently gone."

"Who's the new ruler?"

"You are about to violate Rule number 974: No outsider can mention the ruler."

"That's interesting. I have all the papers we need. Before I leave, have you seen a certain Ludwig B. Tobin?"

"I'm afraid not. No one left the land so if he was already there I'm sure you'll find him easily. Carry on and don't forget to consult the daily Pipeland map."

The duo took a look at the Pipeland map then drove through the border and entered Pipeland. This uneven portion of Amarioca was filled with mountains of different sizes with jungles and rivers on them. Some rivers even exceeded a mile in width, forcing the inhabitants to create the pipeline system to allow fast and safe travelling. Pipeland was in fact a giant lake with numerous islands. Those islands would often move around in the lake. The scientists in the land studied their movements and adapted the pipeline to this phenomenon. They went through the first pipe they saw. They arrived at the Piranha Plant Slide. It was one of the numerous places used for karting competitions.

"Say, Larry, do you think we can take a look inside the slide?" Junior asked.

"Why would you want to do that? We've raced inside many times before." Larry said.

"I know but we never have enough time to pay attention to the small details that makes the track memorable. And what if Ludwig was inside?"

"Alright, we can take one quick look but we can't stay for too long. The access permits have a date we need to respect or we'll have to go back to the castle and make new ones."

The duo got off the bike and explored the slide. The blue bricked walls illuminated with the few lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling and the streams flowing through the middle of the corridors. Many pipes stuck out the walls and ceiling, with water flowing out of them. They heard a voice echoing through the corridors but it was to faint to understand what it said. They kept walking and…

"No, I did not kill her! How many times do I have to repeat you that she was already like that when I arrived in her throne room?" A voice echoed.

The duo recognized the voice. They ran toward it and saw two individuals but only one of them was talking. The first individual was a human with pointy ears and blond hairs wearing a green tunic and a green cap. He was making gestures with his arms to a giant plant. The green plant had a red polka dot head with golden petals all around on the head. Its big-lipped green mouth showed many pointy teeth. Its long leafy arms also made gestures but the plant could talk. It was standing on two small pointy feet that would baffle anyone if they were told the plant could actually stand on them due to the ridiculous size difference. It was wearing a swimsuit that shared the same coloration with its head. It was obvious that the "conversation" was frustrating the plant. It turned around and walked away toward the koopas but did not notice them at first.

"I did not kill her. It's not true. It's blasphemy! I did not kill her." The plant said.

It was also holding a wooden stick that it nonchalantly threw sideway.

"I did not…" The plant continued.

It then noticed the koopas.

"Oh hi guys!" The plant greeted.

"Hey Petey! What's up?" Larry asked.

At first, Petey Piranha did not want to be the Pipeland king like his father. Instead, he wanted to become a humorist but this dream made other royalties consider him a joke and take him as the laughingstock among them years ago. Recently, the former Pipeland king passed away and Petey had to take his place. No one believed that he would be able to rule over a totalitarian land like Pipeland but his odd ways of managing taxes and laws made him earn his place as the new Pipeland king. An exploit to be noted was that he was able to calm down his people during rebellions in record times, a task even his father was unable to do without use of military forces.

"This guy says that I killed his girlfriend." Petey explained.

The punk looked at the human. The latter was hesitant to address himself to anyone since no one seemed to understand his gestures. The punk approached him and presented himself by first waving at him then pointing himself while spelling out his name in sign language. The human was impressed. He spelled out his name too. He was named Link. Larry remembered him from the karting competitions. Recently, he would come over to the Mario World whenever the Triforce World was not in danger or when Link wanted to do something more exotic and unusual.

"What are you doing here?" Larry asked.

Link explained with gestures that his world was attacked by blue flames that turned people into skeletons and that he could not do anything against it. He found a portal that led him here.

"What were you trying to explain to Petay?" The punk asked.

The human made the same gestures as before he met the koopas. The punk understood them.

"He wants to know how you got there, Petey." The koopaling said.

"Ah, I thought he was accusing me of killing his girlfriend. So, I was on my daily walk like every day on the big day before going to the meeting. Then, I decided to go into the Piranha Plant Slide for fun and that's where I saw this big portal inside. I found it unusual to see a portal there because you know that they appear at places like airports, docks and subways, right? So, I decided to take a peek inside but something pulled me in there. I found myself surrounded by what seemed to be piranha plants at first but they attacked me. I got stuck a whole day with these mean guys and the portal closed itself. Then, this guy came and saved me from them. He brought me to a town near where the portal was. We reached the town and then, out of nowhere, BOOM happened! Blue flames filled the streets and everyone turned into dry creatures. I'm surprised that neither I nor he became these things." Petey explained.

Link looked away, toward the corridor.

"Is there something wrong?" Larry asked him.

The human made a few gesture. The punk understood that he wanted to go back in his world to see if one of his friends is fine but suspected that the friend in question might be gone.

"Listen, even if your friend's gone, we can still free him from this disgusting curse. We can't let him aimlessly walk around as a lifeless puppet." Larry claimed.

The human was surprised. He made a few gestures to ask him how he could free his friend.

"Is there something your friend holds dear?" The koopaling asked.

Link searched in his tunic and pulled out a blue ocarina with the triforce on its pipe. The group made their way to the portal and entered it. Once in the Triforce World, they discussed a plan.

"Alright, I'll go with Link to his friend. Petey, can you fight?" Larry said.

"What do you think I am: a sunflower? Off course I can!" Petey replied.

"You stay near the portal with Junior. I don't want too many dry creatures near that thing."

The group agreed with the plan. Junior pulled back his baton and extended it. Larry followed Link toward the town. They did not bother to break any dry creatures here. They would waste too much time and Larry had other things to do. They entered a castle and went to a bedroom where they saw a dry creature about the same height as Link. The human took his ocarina and played a song that started as follow: left, right, down, left, right, down. The skeleton reacted to it and emitted a powerful light from its body. It blinded the two living beings. The light faded and a spectral princess with pointy ears like Link appeared.

"Link… I'm sorry we could not do anything against it… Please, leave the kingdom. Find a way to restore our world. I do not know what happened. It is definitively not Ganon's doing. I am counting on you." The princess said.

Link and the ghost gave each other one last hug before the princess vanished.

"Don't worry, Link. I'm working on a way to restore a world. I need one last royal artifact and then we'll be able to bring everything back to normal. I'm heading to Pipeland City in the Mario World. If you remember this place, you'll need your passport and an entry permit." Larry reassured.

Link searched in his tunic and showed his passport. As for the entry permit, he went to an office and made one himself. The duo left the castle and went back to the portal. There, Petey was running around in front of the portal doing the plane while Junior was on his head. They spotted Larry and slowly stopped.

"We did our job, I swear! We were bored so we decided to play around." Petey said.

The punk looked around them and saw the broken bones. He did not doubt they did their job. The group returned to the Mario World. They exited the Piranha Plant Slide. The moon already took the sun's place.

"Great, it's too dangerous to continue at night." Larry said."

"Don't worry guys. I got a place where we can stay right here tonight." Petey proposed.

They returned inside the slide. The giant plant pushed a brick in a wall and revealed a secret passage. The group went into the passage and found themselves in a room with many beds. They all took a bed each. The plant had difficulty to find a comfortable pose because no bed was built for his size. Larry took a bed right next to his libra. Larry did not fall asleep yet. He saw that Link was still sad about his loss. He went to comfort him as best as he could. A few minutes later, the human fell asleep, so did the giant plant. Only Larry and Junior were still awake. This gave the punk the occasion to pull the photo out of his sidepack and show it to his little brother.

"Hey, Junior, I found this for you." Larry whispered while handing the photo to the prince.

"Is that…" Junior started while looking at the photo.

The koopaling nodded at him. Junior smiled and held the photo near his heart. He put it in his backpack and pulled out his Bowser plush and went to sleep. Larry did not tell him that Peach gave him the photo because he did not want his little brother to know that there are other people beside him and Bowser that knew about Clawdia hence why the king kept it a secret. The punk went to bed. The group woke up the next day and had some breakfast before heading out to Pipeland City. Larry did not ride his bike because the two new travellers would be unable to catch up to him. After a few hours, they reached the wall that inhabited the city. They entered it and found themselves in an outpost. The vast empty room had a few chairs for people that could no longer wait while standing up. Pipeland had strict border policies that forced people to have their passport and either an entry permit or their id card. With the incident, not many people would travel around Amarioca and they would avoid Pipeland at all cost in case the rules became stricter. The group took some chairs. A piranha plant, who was stationed next to one of the booths, noticed them.

"Hey Jerry! We got some people there today! I hope you're ready!" The plant said.

"Yeah, I'm ready. NEXT!" A voice shouted.

The group looked at each other. Link decided to go first. He stood up with his papers in his hand and entered the booth.

"Papers, please."

"…"

"What is the purpose of the trip?"

"…"

"Immigration you said? What happened to your world?"

"…"

"Some blue flames turned everyone into dry creatures? Darn, we heard rumors about that but we didn't think it was actually real or that it would have reached other worlds. Here, we managed to avoid the worst. A space pirate posing as a Space Federation member launched a terrorist attack on the Pipeland Maze but we managed to contain the bio-chemical weapon to minimize the damage. Now, let's see those papers: everything is current, all the information is properly written and matches and… There, you're granted entry to Pipeland City. Glory to Pipeland!"

A few seconds passed and…

"NEXT!"

Petey stood up but was not holding his papers. He walked into the booth.

"Hey, Jerry, remember me?"

"Papers, please."

"Come on! It's me, Petey! I'm the king, remember? I don't need papers."

"You're not the king. Papers, please."

"Wait. There's a new king now? Since when?"

"Right after an incident and being unable to find the former king, Pipeland elected a new one. Papers, please."

"Alright, alright, I'll give you my papers… Hum… I kinda forgot them at the Pipeland Maze."

"Sorry sir: No papers, no entry."

"That's an outrage! I'm still the king! I wanna see that poser now!"

"Sir, we'll have to detain you."

"Don't you mean GROUNDED?"

"You are in violation of rule number 1056: No puns allowed."

"I didn't adopt such rule!"

"I keep telling you that you're not the king! SECURITY!"

The piranha plant outside the booth pulled out his baton and looked inside.

"OUT!" The plant loudly ordered.

"I'm not moving until I met the so-called king!" Petey's voice ranted.

The piranha plant entered the booth. There were a few hits but Petey left the booth unharmed.

"I get it! I'll wait here until your king shows up for his daily walk! He does that, right?" Petey let out, frustrated.

Being incredibly huge, not much could actually hurt him. The guard kept hitting him but got tired and went back to his post. The giant plant sat next to the koopas with his leafy arms crossed and a grumpy attitude.

"NEXT!"

Larry stood up and brought Junior with him. Before they could enter the booth, the plant standing guard stopped them.

"Since you have luggage with you, you'll have to hand them to me. I'll check them to make sure you're not carrying anything illegal into the city." The guard told them.

Larry and Junior handed the guard their luggage. They entered the booth and met with another piranha plant behind a desk. He had a book open with a few sheets of paper on his desk. He was ready to verify everything.

"Papers, please." The plant asked.

Larry gave him his papers as well as Junior's.

"What is the purpose of your trip?" The plant asked.

"We're here to visit relatives." Larry answered.

"Duration of stay?"

"Two days."

"I found an empty needle in the older koopa's sidepack. I'll just dispose of it. You won't be detained for that but you'll receive a warning for your future trips to the city!" The guard outside said.

"Your papers seem to be in order. Though, I just need to verify a little something." The inspector behind the desk said.

The piranha plant turned around and looked at the wall behind him. Larry just noticed all the posters hanging on the wall. The posters had pictures of him, his father and his siblings. Oddly enough, Ludwig was not on any of these posters. The plants looked at them and pulled a lever, shutting the booth. An alarm was sounded.

"What's happening, Larry!?" Junior screamed while grabbing after his big brother's shirt.

"OUT!" A voice from outside loudly ordered.

"Can we at least know why we're being detained?" Larry asked.

"Sorry, sir, this information is confidential until you've been detained." The inspector responded.

"I SAID OUT!" The voice outside spoke again.

The guard entered the booth, baton in his right leaf. He swung it at Larry but the punk took his leaf and twisted it, forcing the guard to turn around. Larry then pinned the guard on a wall and pressed the head on it with his other hand.

"I want to know why we're being detained. NOW!" Larry aggressively threatened.

"Sorry, sorry, this was all a misunderstanding! I thought those were wanted posters like you were some sort of criminals but it turns out that those are missing posters. The king would like to see both of you." The inspector said as he raised the grills from his desk.

The koopaling release the guard and they apologised to each other. The guard went back to his post outside the booth.

"Why would the king want to see us?" Larry asked.

"He said something about a procedure in times of crisis. I'll send him the message." The inspector said.

The inspector took a phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? Can you pass me the king? I have two of the people he's looking for at the border… Alright, thanks… Good morning, your highness. I have a certain Larry Mulan and Bowser Koopa Jr here ready to enter the city… Alright, I'll tell them, bye…" The inspector started.

"Wait! Can you also mention that Petey Piranha is here with us?" Larry asked.

"Hold on… Yes, there's a certain Petey Piranha at the border too… Wait. He's the former king?! But he doesn't have his papers. What should I… Oh, you have them with you. Can you scan them and send the prints to me please? I'll check them… Alright, bye."

The plant put away the phone. A machine printed copies of Petey's passport and ID card. The inspector examined them. He took out a stamp and stamped the printed passport. He also stamped the koopas' passports and gave them back to their rightful owners.

"There you go, kids, you're granted entry. The king has a place where you can stay for as long as you want at the 140 Megasmilax Avenue." The inspector said.

Larry recognized the address. It led to Ludwig's house but why would the king tell them to rest there? Maybe the new king already met Ludwig and the latter is waiting at his house after his family. The inspector then left the booth and gave the printed papers to Petey. He smiled embarrassedly at the giant and explained the situation. The giant plant slowly lost his grumpy attitude and stood up. He thanked the inspector and proceeded toward his friends.

"Cause no trouble. We already have enough with all the rebellions in there. The king even threatened its people into causing a drought if they did not stop with the quarrels." The inspector warned.

The rest of the group met up with Link, who had been waiting outside the booth on the other side after being granted entry. The group headed into Pipeland City. Larry was not reassured though. He felt that an unfortunate demise was approaching.


	30. Chapter 7-3

**Chapter 7-3: Can You Hear Me?**

Pipeland city was filled with many pipe-shaped building. It was founded on an island that never moved. Since it could not expand on the surface, the city was built in height and depth. It shared similarities with other cities from other lands. Like Sandland City, it had a wall to control the number of people that would enter or leave the city with the only difference of stricter laws. Similar to Skyland City, Pipeland City had two separate major district, on the surface an in the underground. The streets had some water flowing in the middle but it was not much compared to Sealand City that had its entire streets filled with it. The group walked into a restaurant and ate out. They all ordered different meals: Link chose beef brochettes, Petey ordered a feast, Junior took a sandwich and Larry ate a steak. While they were eating, the group discussed about their plan for today.

"Tell me, Petey. Do you remember where the blue wand is?" Larry asked.

"Why would you want to know that? I hope you're not planning to…" Petey started.

The giant plant then noticed the rings the punk was wearing.

"Oh, so you're the kid running around Amarioca fetching wands to help some stars. Don't worry. Some star thingy told me about that. The goomba king must still be around, right?"

"Wait. You already knew about the plan?"

"Yeah, I and the other lands' rulers met with a star that told us about some plan to restore the world and that destruction was inevitable. She told us about you and she said that one of us would have to lend you a crown to be able to use the wands at their fullest."

"So me becoming a king wasn't because I was fit to be one but it was already planned?"

"I don't doubt that you'd make an excellent king. You changed a lot, Larry, even more than your dad. I still remember when you worked as a spy before your little brother was born and…"

Larry started grinded his teeth. He became angrier and angrier. Petey saw that and abruptly changed the subject.

"Sorry, I tend to sidetrack easily. About the blue wand, it must still be in my bedroom. I didn't bring it with me on my walk the other day."

"I suppose you haven't seen Ludwig recently."

"In fact, I saw him during the big day while I was on my daily stroll. He was at the border waiting to have his papers checked. After that, I never saw him again since I was away for two weeks."

The group left the restaurant. The former Pipeland king paid for everyone, including the other piranha plants in the restaurant. They went back walking down the street. Junior climbed on the plant's head. He loved it at first so he wanted to be back there. A few minutes later, Larry stopped in front of a medical clinic. The group followed his lead and stood still. The punk stared at the giant billboard above the clinic.

"I remember this place." He whispered.

He entered the clinic. It had a few chairs and a reception. A door on the other side of the room certainly led to the operation rooms and bedrooms. The koopaling took a seat. Junior got off Petey's head and sat next to him.

"Larry, what are we doing here? We need to see the king." His libra reminded him.

"I know but have you always wondered what the true reason behind Ludwig's departure was?" Larry asked.

The prince was indeed curious about the reason. He believed that hatred and jealousy motivated his eldest brother to leave the castle. He quietly nodded.

"Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time…"

 _The vacation project was coming to an end when the family reached the last land to visit: Pipeland. It did not go as expected when an accident happened where Ludwig was caught into it. The koopaling was rushed to the medical clinic. Peach, and Mario, was also there to reassure Bowser that everything would be alright. The Koopa King had the perimeter evacuated to prevent anyone to know the true relation between him and his children. Petey was also there but he was at the entrance to prevent anyone to enter. The koopalings where at a hotel with Kamek save for Larry who insisted to be at the clinic. He was playing with his goomba plush while the adults were worried about Ludwig's life. The young punk had no idea of the concept of death and did not seem to understand the worries. A door opened and a doctor came out. Bowser stood up and went to the doctor._

" _Is he going to be alright?" Bowser worryingly asked._

" _He's very lucky to be alive with how severe the accident was. However, I'm sorry to tell you this but your son became deaf. I tried to give him some hearing aid but they did not work. Something inside his head must have been severely damaged. You son will not recover from that." The doctor sadly announced._

 _The adults gasped. Larry looked around him. All the adults stood up and went to see Bowser to try to comfort him. The doctor went back to the door and opened it. Ludwig came in, eyes closed and tears in his face. The punk never saw him crying. His eldest brother was also the strongest in mind. Nothing scared him. Nothing angered him. Nothing saddened him… Until now. Larry left his seat and went to see the adult._

" _What is deaf?" Larry asked._

 _The doctor went to the child and kneeled down._

" _Your brother can no longer hear anything. There usually exist apparels we can put in his ears to make his hear again but something in his head is broken and we can't fix it. He'll stay deaf for the rest of his life." The doctor explained._

 _Larry looked back at his big brother, still crying. He had no idea how he would get to make him happy again. Being unable to hear was a burden for sure. For the first time, he felt that he would not be able to help someone._

"The idea of having a new little brother in his condition was painful for him. Being unable to hear a child laughing or crying; can you believe that? In the end, he left the castle because he was already sharing his pain and suffering with his other siblings and he did not want to share it with you. He wanted you to never know him. If he wasn't deaf, he wouldn't hate you either. He'd see you as some competition for the throne."

"But that doesn't make sense, Larry. Ludwig was able to hear me recently."

"He was eventually cured. I don't remember much how it happened but I only remember that I was with him when it happened."

The group eventually left the clinic and got back on their track. They reached the address the king gave him. Larry searched in his pocket and took the key that unlocked the house's door. They entered the house. Though it seemed like a normal house at first, Ludwig house also had two studios, one for his arts and another one for his hobby: video games. Junior went inside the art studio and stood there looking at the arts and sculptures Ludwig did in his life. Since he could not work any convenient job due to his handicap, Ludwig had to work alone. His jobs consisted of broadcasting himself doing arts and playing videogames for a living. The child sat on a chair in front of a desk and got to work. He had homeworks to do. Someone knocked at the door. Larry answered the door and saw a piranha plant wearing a blue robe.

"Welcome to Pipeland, Sir Larry, the king is not ready yet to receive you. I will come back in a few hours once he will be ready." The plant asked.

It left. Petey and Link decided to go for a walk while they would be waiting for the time to meet the king. Larry stayed at the house to keep an eye on his libra. An hour later, Junior was done with his homeworks. He went to see his big brother.

"Larry, why do you have a last name different of mine?" He asked.

"I and the other koopalings all have different last names because, when Bowser adopted us, he did not want to make our true relation public so he gave us different last names to make commoners not know that we were his children. It was also to prevent certain people to track us and hunt us down." Larry explained.

"What was the needle they found in your sidepack?"

"It used to have the vaccine against the infection that turns people into dry creatures but I already used it. I forgot to dispose of it."

"Then why did you use on me? I was already immune."

"I wasn't sure if you were already immune so I vaccinated you again."

"Back at the restaurant, what was Petey talking about you being a spy?"

Larry did not answer. He looked, trying to avoid answering it.

"Larr? Why aren't you saying anything?" Junior asked.

The punk sat down on the floor and looked back at his little brother. He had no choice. He had to confess his libra everything.

"Junior… It's time for you to know the truth about me. I'm not a good person. Before you were born, I used to work as a spy for dad. It all started when I eavesdropped on him and Peach saying something about me and my siblings' origin. Bowser caught me but he decided to give me the job. Over the next years, most weekends and a majority of my summer vacations, I'd be sent around the Mario World or somewhere Amarioca to spy on people, investigate on possible conspiracies, prevent coup d'états to happen and more, all in the goal of preventing King Boo to take back over the kingdom. However, I was forced to cheat on and steal from everyone I knew. I found myself backstabbing my friends and siblings left to right, just to make sure they were not plotting anything against dad or the Koopa Kingdom. Yet, I don't understand why they still love me after all the horrible things I did to them." Larry confessed.

He was not proud of himself at the moment. Junior was only five years old. He admired him but the punk had no choice. It was better if his libra knew the truth and chose someone else to emulate instead of keeping up with an impure being like Larry. The koopaling closed his eyes and sighed.

"Do you want a cookie for you efforts?" A voice said.

It was not Junior's voice. The punk opened his eyes and looked around, scared. He then saw it again: the shadowy silhouette, standing in the doorframe.

"Larry, are you alright?" The prince asked.

The koopaling did not pay attention to his little brother. He was not expecting to see the silhouette here of all the places he could meet him. It seemed that, wherever he was, the silhouette would always know and catch up with him.

"Did you really think I would let a squeaky balloon expose me? I'm much smarter than you think, Larry, but enough of that. Let's talk about the real deal. So, the legendary jumpman is dead. That's one more reason to take over the Koopa Kingdom. No one would ever be able to stop you. Princess Peach won't even try to bring you down. All you have to do is ditch everyone, relive your past, and embrace it. Don't feel ashamed to do bad things to others. It's in our nature after all. I've seen your last dream and I can't wait to see you murder that pompous prodigy. He's a joke anyway…" The silhouette started.

It slowly moved toward the koopas. Junior was facing away from him but Larry was facing the silhouette. It stopped right behind the prince and put a hand on one of Junior's shoulders. Larry started showing anger.

"Don't touch my libra." Larry quietly threatened.

"Larry?" Junior asked, confused.

"So that's you libra, eh? Ditch him." The silhouette ordered to Larry.

The punk did not move. He was getting angrier.

"Do it!" The silhouette ordered again.

Larry had enough. He walked toward Junior and moved him aside. His libra had no idea what was going on.

"I'LL NEVER OBEY YOU!" Larry shouted as he prepared to punch the silhouette.

The punk tried to punch the silhouette but it vanished in laughers. It was mocking him all along.

"Larry, what's happening to you?" Junior asked.

"I don't know. I'm starting to see things." Larry simply whispered.

"Larry… It no longer matters if you did bad things before. You changed now. Besides, you didn't have the intention of actually hurting people, did you? You did this to protect us. The others already know all about you. They forgive you for having cheated on them. Why can't you forgive yourself?" The prince said as he hugged his big brother.

(They forgive me? How can they?) The punk thought.

He brushed the thought away and they went to check the other studio. The second studio was filled with many shelves full of video game cartridges and cases. A desk with a giant screen was placed in the end of the studio. Many video game consoles were wired after the screen.

"I never thought I'd be in this room at my age." Junior said.

"Wait. You already knew about that?" Larry asked.

"Yeah, every night, I'd stay awake to watch Ludwig broadcast himself playing videogames. I even saw you on the broadcast."

"Can you hear me, Larry?" Starlow's voice interrupted.

"Yeah I can hear you, Starlow. How are you doing?" The punk confirmed.

"I'm fine. I see that you reached Pipeland City. That's good. Do you have a clue of where the blue wand and your last sibling could be?"

"The blue wand is at the Pipeland Maze. As for Ludwig, I have my own idea of where he could've ended up. The guy at the border said that the king, who's no longer Petey, was looking for me, Junior, Bowser and the other koopalings because he was following a procedure in time of crisis. He had posters of us in his booth but Ludwig was not on any of the posters. A long time ago, I made a procedure with my siblings in those same circumstances where we need to find each other and retrieve Bowser and Junior. The king has to be Ludwig."

"That sounds weird but plausible. Ludwig is a musean. They used to rule over Pipeland years ago so it'll be plausible that he survived the incident and was elected as the new king. I'll watch over you."

The punk smiled. He kept looking around in the studio and browsed the games on the shelves. They were all in alphabetical number and classed by the platform to be easier found. The koopaling spotted a case labelled "Grassland Devil". He pulled the cased to take a look at the box art. The character on it shared strong resemblances to Tatanga. He put it back in the shelf and went to check the screen. He noticed a safe under the desk. He was always curious about what could be inside this safe. He did not want to invade Ludwig's private life if it contained personal stuff. Though, he knew how to keep a secret and he would only open the safe once in his life. He took out his Skelerex Key and picked the safe's lock. Junior noticed him.

"Larry, what are you doing? You're not supposed to do that." The child asked.

"I'm just checking what's inside then I'll close it." The punk answered.

He managed to open the safe and got surprised by the content. There was only a book, not any book, the one that Larry gave to his big brother as a Christmas gift years ago. He pulled out the book and stared at it. The prince stood next to him.

"What's that?" The prince asked.

"I remember that Christmas when…"

 _On a Christmas night, Bowser's family celebrated the holiday at their castle. It was the second Christmas for the koopalings. They chanted songs, unwrapped their presents, drank eggnog and ate turkey. They loved the holiday. Who wouldn't? At midnight, they all went to sleep. Larry, however, pretended to go to sleep. He pulled out a box wrapped in festive papers with a ribbon on it from under his bed and left his bedroom. He looked at Ludwig's door. It was open as always. It would always be open before midnight usually. Tonight, since the family stayed awake longer, it would remain open for a longer time. The punk headed down to the throne room. No guards were standing duty in the vast room. He went on the other side into another corridor. He heard a sonata being played on a piano. As he kept walking, the sonata became louder. He eventually reached the source. It was in the living room where the koopalings met Princess Peach for the first time. This time, a koopaling was sat on a bench in front of a piano playing a sonata. He recognized his big brother Ludwig. Despite facing away from the entrance, the pianist had a mirror placed on the piano to be able to see behind him. Larry looked through the mirror from the doorframe and Ludwig saw him._

" _Oh, Larry, you always come here every night. Vhy do you put such dedication into being vith me? I'm just a vorthless toy that cannot be fixed. Do like ze others and give up on me. At least, I vill no longer have to share my pain vith you." His big brother asked._

 _Ludwig had a strange accent that made him mispronounce certain words. By example, he would pronounce "th" like "z" and "Wh" like "v". Larry approached him. The big brother turned around and got off his bench. The punk handed him the present._

" _Is zis for me?" Ludwig asked._

 _Larry nodded. The deaf brother slowly unwrapped his present and found a book inside. It was a dictionary on sign language. Ludwig looked back at his little brother._

" _How did you buy zat? It must've costed a fortune." He asked._

 _Larry did not answer with words. He started making many gestures with his hands. Ludwig was impressed by how he could communicate so quickly with his hands but he had to understand him first._

" _Vait! Not so fast, Larry! I just got ze book!" Ludwig begged._

 _The deaf koopaling opened the book and browsed through the pages. Since it was his first time, he struggled to understand what his little brother just communicated to him. After a few minutes, he finally looked back at him._

" _You bought zat vith your savings? How did you get so many coins zat fast?" Ludwig asked._

 _Larry had to lie to his big brother because he did not want anyone to know he was being paid to spy on people. He used his hands again to answer him. Ludwig looked back in his book. This time, he was getting the hang of it. It took him less time to understand his little brother._

" _You vorked hard to get zose coins. But Vhy vould you buy me zis? Vhy vould you give me a present in ze first place?" Ludwig asked._

 _Larry did not use his hands this time. He simply hugged his big brother._

" _Off course, ve do not need such a complicate answer for zat. You love me. You felt my pain and decided to make my life less of a living hell zan it already is. Zank you, Larry. Vone day, I'll help you back. I'm not sure how I vill but I'll return you ze favor. I promise" His big brother whispered._

 _Larry then sat down on a couch while Ludwig returned on the piano. The eldest brother played a calm Christmas song that the punk fell asleep on._

Someone knocked at the door. Larry put the book back in the safe and locked it. The koopas went to open it and saw that Link and Petey were already back and that the piranha plant that visited them earlier had returned.

"The king is ready to receive you. I have to warn you that he is becoming increasingly insane and that your presence here has made things worse. I would not overstate my welcome if I was any of you." The piranha plant warned.

The group left Ludwig's house and headed to the Pipeland Maze, the castle where the king resided. Larry could feel death in his heart. He was afraid of what would happen at the Pipeland Maze. He wished that something different would happen but he could not reassure himself. The time might have come and perhaps there was nothing he could do to avoid the disaster he dreamed of.


	31. Chapter 7-4

**Chapter 7-4: Ludwig Von Koopa**

The group reached the Pipeland Maze. As its name suggested, the castle was a maze which its rooms would change position every day as a defense mechanism to confuse the enemy. They entered the maze into the main hall, the only room that never changed place. Much like the Piranha Plant Slide, the maze had blue walls with pipes sticking out of them, water flowed out of the pipes and made some streams on the floor. Its torches provided a faint orange light in the rooms. The piranha plant that accompanied the group turned around to look at them.

"The king will only receive Larry Koopa for now. As for the others, you must wait your turn. A guard will escort all of you to the waiting room." The plant said.

No one objected but they were not happy to hear they would not meet the Pipeland king anytime soon. Larry kept following the plant while the others were led by a guard. The punk went through many corridors. At some point, he heard sounds of an organ echoing through the rooms.

"How insane has the king become?" Larry asked.

"This information is confidential. I cannot…"

The koopaling showed his rings to the piranha plant. The latter was surprised to see them on his hand.

"In that case, since you are also a king, he had closed borders with every land around Pipeland. No guards or residents can leave the maze without his permission which he almost never gives. Recently, he kept talking about doing some unfinished business with an old friend." The plant explained.

The two reached a sturdy wooden door.

"This is it, Sir Larry. The king is right behind this door ready to receive you. I however have to give you clothes to match his dress code." The plant said.

"Will my royal attires as the Grassland King suffice?" Larry asked.

"I'm afraid not. He would not take it kindly if he was talking to another nobleman."

Larry nodded and the plant gave him clothes. He changed clothes and also had to lend the plant his sunglasses. He felt something familiar with the clothes he was given. He then opened the door. He found himself in a vast room that only had two round brightened spots. One was in the middle of the room with a throne while the other was far away, on the other side of the room, with a silhouette playing on an organ. The rest of the room was plunged into darkness. The punk slowly walked toward the first light spot with the throne. His footsteps echoed through the room. The silhouette stopped playing and pulled what seemed to be a cane at first from its shadowy body. With the tip, the silhouette stomped the cane on the floor. The sound echoed loudly through the room, scaring the koopaling. The silhouette grabbed the cane from the middle and stuck it into the organ. Larry recognized the blue wand but who would be able to wield it beside Petey and Ludwig? The silhouette turned around toward Larry and walked toward him. His footsteps made the room tremble. The punk struggled to stand still with the room shaking at every step the silhouette took. Once it reached the same light spot where the punk was standing, it became a silver armored knight. The knight grabbed after a part of his armor on his chest and violently ripped it off. His armor felt apart, revealing a koopa with similar traits to Larry. It was Ludwig but he was wearing a royal vestment while a mask concealed a part of his face. His clothes also gave a familiar vibe to Larry but the latter did not know why. Ludwig had his eyes closed and did not move. He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers then opened his eyes. He gave a menacing gaze at Larry. An orchestra started and the mad king delivered a first musical performance:

" **At last, you came, Silent Knight;**

 **Prepared to face my might;**

 **Shiver as I'm merciless;**

 **So come with me through the darkness."**

" **Since death is very near-ah;**

 **I'll make you scream in fear-ah;**

 **There is nowhere to run;**

 **As you'll be very soon gone.**

 **LARRY-OH!**

 **You touch me, in my heart;**

 **I fear you'll rip it apart;**

 **And though you're doing so well;**

 **I will send you straight to hell!**

 **Ha! Ha! Ha!**

 **All that adventure for nothing;**

 **Fear not, I find it thrilling;**

 **Your chance is very slim;**

 **For my name is BARON SCHLIMM!"**

Even if Ludwig had an accent, he was still able to properly pronounce words to not ruin his song. The orchestra stopped when the baron finished screaming his name. Larry was impressed that the baron also used his hands to make many gestures. When he heard the music, he remembered why their clothes seemed familiar to him.

(The silent knight? Yes, I remember that play…)

 _In order to advertise the adoption of orphans, the foster mother of the orphanage where the koopalings resided decided to write a play starring them. She placed posters of the play all over Neo Bowser City, the capital of the Koopa Kingdom, to get as many people as possible to buy ticket and see the play. The play would also fund the orphanage. One unexpected buyer was the Koopa King, Bowser Koopa, who not only bought a ticket to the play but also donated an incredibly large sum of coins to have the play take place in an actual theater. Tonight was the night the koopalings would impress a crowd. The play was named The Silent Knight. It would put an emphasis on how actions spoke louder than words with its main protagonist being mute. Larry would play the silent knight. The foster mother was making preparations for the play while the koopalings, suited in costumes, looked through the curtains to look at the king sat in the middle of the crowd._

" _Can you all believe zat? Ze king is zere to vatch us!"_

" _Yay!"_

" _I'm gonna impress him with my role!_

" _I heard he's here to see which one of us he's going to adopt."_

" _He'll have to adopt me!"_

" _No way! He's adopting me for sure! I look more like him than any of you do!"_

 _They all spoke from the oldest to the youngest save Larry who could not speak. He just stared at the king, smiling. He never thought he would be entertaining someone important like the ruler of the Koopa Kingdom. He immediately got pulled from the curtains by the other koopalings._

" _Forget about that, baby boy. He's not adoptin' ya for sure!" Roy mocked._

 _The other koopalings all laughed at Larry. The foster mother had to intervene to make them stop. As they were about to perform the first act, a magikoopa went behind the curtain to meet the foster mother._

" _Excuse me but you're not allowed to be there, sir. I'll have to ask you to return to your place." The foster mother told to the magikoopa._

" _I am the king's royal advisor and he sent me to tell you he would like to speak to you. He has reserved a seat right next to him." The magikoopa announced._

" _But what about the play? I can't supervise the children from a seat in the crowd."_

" _I would not worry for them. I will stay here to make sure everything goes as planned."_

 _The foster mother nodded and gave the script to the magikoopa. The play went as planned. It got to the last seen where the silent knight would fight against the evil baron. Ludwig had the baron's role. Larry and Ludwig changed many sword hits and, as the script went, the baron got disarmed and fell down on his rear. Normally, the silent knight would finish the baron but something happened to Larry. The small child pointed his sword at the baron and looked at the crowd. He stared right at the koopa king. He did not want him to see Larry as a heartless monster. He wanted to impress him, to convince him the punk was the one he should adopt over anyone else._

" _Vat are you doing, imbecile? Stick to ze script." The baron impantiently whispered._

 _The silent knight looked back at his opponent but lowered his sword. He instead lent his hand to help his adversary get back on his feet. This proved to be a fatal mistake when…_

" _Zank you for giving me zis opportunity, idiot." The baron whispered as he drew a dagger from his costume and stabbed the knight._

 _The dagger went between the knight's chest and his armpit. Larry could not break his character even if Ludwig went against the script. He had no choice but to carry on. He fell on his shell, still holding the dagger with his armpit. He was crying. His best chance at impressing the king was ruined. He looked at the crowd. Many people in it were shocked. The foster mother was infuriated that one of Larry's bullies humiliated him in front of a crowd. Larry did not pay attention to her. He looked at the king. He seemed disappointed. He nodded sideway. It was obvious that Larry would never be the one chosen as his child. He slowly closed his eyes. A dream of a lifetime got suddenly crushed just for wanting to do what seemed to be right for his heart._

"Vell, Larry, you took a long time to meet me." Ludwig commented.

Larry snapped out of it and looked at his big brother who was closing into him. He wanted to say something but Ludwig put his finger on Larry's mouth.

"No need to say anyzing: your silence does speak volume." The baron mocked.

The baron slowly stepped back and unsheathed a sword. It was then that the punk noticed that Ludwig was carrying two swords with him. With the first one, Ludwig sliced the palm of his other hand. Larry saw the blood slowly spreading on the blade. Ludwig then tossed the sword at Larry. The latter, terrified, caught the sword. The punk trembled. His big brother meant business. He was indeed insane and Larry would have to knock some sense back into him. This worried him much more than he already was before entering the throne room. Ludwig unsheathed the second sword and pointed it at his little brother.

"Let us settle zis like noble knights!" Ludwig declared.

He lowered his sword and scrubbed the tip on the wooden floor. He closed his eyes and snapped his fingers. The blue wand that he stuck on the organ spread its magic on it and played a slightly slower version of Little Fugue. Larry nervously raised his sword to prepare himself. It did not help that he had no experience with such weapon. He was better at fighting with his hands and feet. The sword took away all his confidence. He could not drop the sword and switch to his fists. They were using real swords and Ludwig would obviously have the upper hand if his little brother made the mistake to ditch his gift. Even if he already fought him at the F3, Ludwig was using a wooden stick. It was for fun but, today, it would be for glory. The baron slowly walked toward the silent knight. With one swift strike, the knight's block was broken. Larry got destabilised but got his balance back. Ludwig opened his eyes to give a piercing glare at his opponent.

"I am ze better swordsman. It is time for you to retire." He boasted as he placed his sword at its former position.

The fight kept going. Ludwig kept boasting and taunting the punk in an attempt to make him go reckless against the baron. Larry was too strong-minded to fall into his big brother's trap. He had to first study his opponent before acting. Once an opening was available, he hit Ludwig on his cheek. He used the flat side of his sword to not harm him too much. It did leave a red mark on it though. The music suddenly stopped. The baron was confused. The silent knight lowered his sword and looked back at his opponent with a sorry face. The baron touched his cheek to feel the pain. It angered the baron and he snapped his finger. Another orchestra started and the baron proceeded to deliver another musical performance, more furious than the first one:

" **How dare you mock me, worm;**

 **I'm the most violent storm;**

 **Once I'm done with you, death will caress;**

 **What remains of you pathetic paresse.**

 **Hahahaha!**

 **I control all the world;**

 **You cannot speak a word;**

 **I hope you wrote your testament;**

 **For I am your last judgment.**

 **You're nothing but a mere peasant;**

 **I'll make your demise unpleasant;**

 **I'll erase your very name;**

 **As swordplay is within my field of game.**

 **Your fate is very grim;**

 **For I shall repeat: I'm BARON SCHLIMM!"**

Like his first performance, the orchestra died down when the baron screamed his name. Ludwig took back his breath and looked back at his little brother, madder than ever.

"Are you ready?" The baron maliciously whispered.

He then snapped his finger again and the organ started over but faster. Like the music, Ludwig fought more valiantly, more vigorously, more viciously, and more violently. He was no longer letting his opponent any chance to strike back. He kept swinging his sword from all directions. Larry could not do anything against him. Every hit forced the silent knight to step back as the baron was advancing toward him every time he landed a hit on the sword. Even if the knight could block all the attacks, it was a matter of time before the baron would eventually break the knight's guard. After a few more swings, the baron performed a last one in an unusual way that caused the knight to lose his balance. The baron then disarmed his opponent, sending the sword flying away from them.

"PREPARE TO DIE, VORM!" The baron shouted as he prepared his sword to land a killing blow on his adversary.

Ludwig thrusted his sword toward his little brother but the latter swiftly dodged it. The baron was not expecting anyone to dodge a deadly blow so easily. Disarming Larry was the biggest mistake he could have ever done. Larry regained all his confidence and got back on his feet. He then chopped through his big brother's hand, forcing him to drop his sword.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" The baron screamed.

The punk now had the upper hand. He struck his foe on his chest with a simple palm strike to push him back and delivered his signature move on him. The baron flew upward and fell back down, crashing into the organ. The organ delivered a brutally loud noise before being turned into a pile of rubble and debris. Larry picked up Ludwig's sword and slowly approached the broken organ. The baron tried to stand back up but the rubbles held him down. Once close to the baron, the silent knight raised his sword and put it under the baron's throat, ready to slice it. The irony the baron found himself in scared him but he mustered back his courage shortly and looked at the silent knight.

"Finish me off, Larry. You von fair and square." The baron commented.

The knight lowered his sword instead and lent his hand to his foe. Larry wanted to believe he could save Ludwig. The Ludwig looked at him, confused. His face changed to a tamer and calmer one. He was smiling.

"Oh, Larry, you vere always know for your acts of mercy." His brother said as he used Larry's hand to pull himself back up.

Once back on his feet, Ludwig stood there and gave the silent knight the blue wand. Larry's quests were over. He had the last royal artifact to summon the Sword of Creation and he was able to retrieve what was left of his family. He turned around and walked away, expecting his adversary to follow him. Though, he did not hear his footsteps. When he returned to the light spot with the throne…

"It is a pity you cannot finish anyone…" Ludwig's voice spoke.

It frightened Larry. His heart was pounding faster and faster. Footsteps started echoing through the vast throne room. He looked back at the broken organ and the light spot at it was gone. The footsteps suddenly stopped. Ludwig would not attempt to kill Larry again. He was defeated. He admitted defeat. A moment later, he heard something unsheathing and then someone leaping.

"… Because I CAN!" Ludwig shouted as he emerged from the darkness, dagger in his right hand, pouncing at Larry.

The punk got scared but there was nothing he could do. His foe was jumping at him too fast. The only Larry could do was to brace for impact and hope he would not get stabbed. The two fighters collided. Something pierced someone. The sound silenced any other noise there could have been in the vast room. There was a moment of silence. They stood there, in front of the throne, for a moment.

"No…" Larry whispered.

What he was afraid the most happened. The two koopas started stuttering. Their eyes were wide open and their jaw dropped. They were holding each other. The punk felt no pain. He looked around him, first starting with his left. The dagger went next to him. It did not even cut through Larry's clothes. His left arm was holding Ludwig with the blue wand still in his hand. Larry looked on the other side and saw that his other arm, the one holding the sword, was placed to stab the baron.

"No." Larry said.

He backed a little bit, hoping that the blade only went through Ludwig's side. Contrary to his hopes, it went through his chest. The damage was fatal. Blood spread on the cloth around the wound. Larry started trembling. His eyes shrank. He did not know what to do in this situation. He never saw a wound that important. Even the one he took from that dry creature in Grassland was nothing compared to now. Without thinking properly, he tried to pull the sword out of his brother, hoping it would undo the wound. It was jammed inside. The punk panicked more and more. He desperately twisted it in all directions, ignoring Ludwig moaning in pain. Alas, he only managed to break the blade inside him. The additional pain caused Ludwig to scream.

"NO!" Larry screamed in terror.

He released his brother who fell on his knees. The punk backed away, horrified. He looked at the hilt he was still holding. He threw it as far as he could. The sound quietly echoed through the throne room. Larry quickly went back to his big brother and kneeled down to catch him before he would hit the ground. Tears immediately flooded his eyes as he hugged Ludwig.

"Ludwig, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! What took you to jump at me like that!? Please, tell me something, anything! I don't care if you don't forgive me… I just want to hear your voice… One more time…" Larry sobbed.

He felt being gently pushed back. He looked at Ludwig who was now smiling, touched. He accepted the demise he was destined. Why was he so accepting of such fate? There was no glory in death. Ludwig only used his fingers from one hand in an attempt to wipe his little brother's eyes.

"Oh Larry… Dry zose tears… I do not deserve zem… I am just glad you vere ze vone that stopped me… My dear little brozer…" Ludwig whispered as he caressed his little brother's cheek.

"NO! Don't you dare speak lowly of yourself, Ludwig! You're not a waste! You're more than that! You're my big brother! I love you… How can you gladly speak lowly of yourself?" Larry kept sobbing.

Ludwig's eyes started slowly closing. He was leaving. With the energy he had left, he concentrated it to create a light orb.

"Here, keep zis vith you… Larry… Stop ze madness zat is consuming our vorld… Put an end to zis tyranny… I'm… counting… on… you…" Ludwig struggled to delivered his last words as the orb went into his little brother.

His eyes completely closed. His arm and head fell down. Larry shook him out of despair trying to wake him back up.

"No, Ludwig, wake up! You can't just leave me like that! Ludwig! LUDWIG!" Larry begged.

There was nothing he could do. It was too late. His big brother was no more. His body became heavier. Larry had to lay him on the wooden floor. The punk stayed kneeled down and looked at his Ludwig. The latter was still smiling. Larry could not stand the circumstances. He thought he was ready for anything after he saw his father being turned into a dry creature. Alas, life had to prove him otherwise. All his hope was gone. He was about to give up on his mission. He cried a little longer but he could not mourn him forever. Ludwig would not want to see his little brother give up. Larry wiped the tears off his face and stood back up. He looked up.

"Morton… Wendy… Roy… Lemmy… Ludwig… Dad… I promise to all of you. I'll save the world. I'll restore it to its former glory. I'll help Junior become the next koopa king. With Iggy and Kamek too, we'll restore the Koopa Kingdom. I'll go after the monster that ruined it and I'll slay it down for all of you. Your demises won't go in vain for my name is LAWRENCE CHRISTOPHER ATHLEAN, the last athlean to have ever set foot on Amarioca!" He spoke out loud.

Larry took back his breath. The throne room lightened up. Scouse of applause echoed through the room with cheering and whistling. Larry was confused. He looked around and saw a crowd of people applauding him. He saw not only Junior but most residents of the Mushroom Castle. Even Kraig was in the crowd applauding him. Huge curtains moved in to block the sight between Larry and the crowd. The punk heard someone moaning. He looked back at Ludwig. He was standing up.

"Ludwig!?" Larry gasped.

"Do not ruin your moment of glory, Larry. You deserve it." His big brother said.

In the distance, Larry saw many piranha plants in costume. He recognized all the costume from the play The Silent Knight. They all lined up. Ludwig stood in line with them and brought his little brother too. The curtains moved away and the actors on the stage all bowed down. The blue wand Larry was holding was shining. The crowd suddenly stopped applauding and everyone stared at the wand. The punk summoned his other wand and merged the two wands into a completely different one. This golden wand had a six-point starman at the head of the wand. The black stone was in the middle while the six others were placed at the end of each point of the star. The crowd cheered louder. Larry tried to turn the wand into a ring but it instead became a pair of golden bracers that went on his wrists. They had the head of the Creator on them. Minutes later, the actors went in the vestiaries to change back to their casual clothes. While the other actors left the vestiaries, Larry and Ludwig were still inside.

"So, vat do you zink?" Ludwig asked.

"First off…" Larry started.

He then punched his big brother in the face.

"Don't you ever toy with my feelings again!"

"Yes, I vas avare it vould happen but I had no choice."

"Why?"

"Consider zis as my apology for mistreating you back at ze orphanage and stealing ze spotlight in front of fazer."

"Of course, why did I get fooled that easily? But how did you get everyone here?"

"When I learned you arrived at ze borders, I vanted to redo zis play to give you ze credit you deserved. Ven I vas preparing for ze play, a friend of yours, a vooden puppet, visited me. He said that I vas ze last person you vere looking for and that vat remained of our family vas at ze Mushroom Castle. So, I invited ze residents to come and vatch ze play. As for ze play, ze swords tve used vere just mere accessories. I used strawberry jam to simulate blood." Ludwig explained.

There was a moment of silence between the two brothers.

"Ludwig, do you really forgive me?" Larry brought up.

"Listen, Larry. If it vas for ze zings you did before Junior vas born, I indeed forgive you." Ludwig said.

"How can you forgive me so easily?"

"You changed, Larry. Zat is all vat matters."

The brothers left the room. Larry had to see Kraig and to ask him something. The crocodile humanoid was no longer wearing his lab coat. He instead wore more casual clothes.

"Hey Kraig." Larry started.

"Hi…"

"How are you doing?"

"After all these years, he still cared about me. I can't believe he fooled me so easily just to protect me from them."

"What is the unthinkable he just did?"

"I can't tell you. There's no need to know."

"…"

"Let me guess. You met him and he asked you to keep an eye on me."

"You're right."

"Listen, I can't stay with you. The others would easily know that I'm still around and they'll hunt me down. I have to go."

Kraig left. Junior and Iggy just arrived to meet up with their other brothers.

"Come on, Ludwig! You could've told me you were doing that! I wanted to redo it again too, you know!" Iggy ranted.

"Wow! That was cool! The sword fight, the music, the tragedy, I was gripped after my seat. It was intense!" Junior said.

"Vell, I zank you for…"

A piranha plant rushed in and interrupted the family reunion.

"Your highness, I have an alarming new: a rebellion broke out in Pipeland City!" The plant announced.

"State ze level of ze situation." Ludwig ordered.

"It reached the coup-d'état level."

Everyone gasped. The city was in complete chaos. The koopas went to meet Petey.

"Petey, ve need your help! Ze city is out of control!" Ludwig said.

"Don't worry guys. I have a plan. All I need you to do is to rewire the cameras so they shoot on the main square. Once done, meet me there." Petey said.

The giant piranha plant left the room. The koopas went back to Pipeland City and saw the horrors: Cars flipped upside down, broken windows everywhere, benches on fire, fire hydrant sabotaged. It was even worse than anywhere else. Any other land would have a huge majority of its city intact. They rewired the big screens to shoot on the main square and went there. Petey was already here with a radio at his feet.

"Iz zat you plan!? Ve're doomed." Ludwig lamented.

"I got this under control, guys. Just watch." The giant plant reassured.

The plant turned the radio on. It played some percussion. Petey started dancing to the music's rhythm. The music caught the citizens' attention and, when they saw their highness dancing, they were immediately hypnotized by the king's groove. The citizens started dancing at their turn and restored the city as much as they could. The koopas were impressed nonetheless. After this incident, everyone returned to the Mushroom Castle. Since all the lands' rulers renewed the peace treaty, the celebration took place in the Mushroom Kingdom instead of Pipeland. All the rulers were invited. Larry's three tasks were done but he still had one last thing to do. Though, tonight, he and his friends would celebrate their success. The party died down and the punk went to check on his brothers. They were in his room. When he entered, Junior was holding a sheet a paper and wanted to show it to Ludwig.

"Luddy! Luddy! Look what I drew!" Junior kept saying.

"Argh! Don't call me zat! I'm sure your drawing is nozing special. Just vone glance at it and…" Ludwig started as he took the sheet off his little brother's hands.

He took a look at it and his jaw dropped. He looked back at the prince astonished.

"You did not draw zat."

"I can draw it again if you want to."

"Vere did you learn to draw like zat?"

"Before the incident, I watched you paint every weekend. You're the one that inspired me to draw."

The prince hugged the oldest koopaling.

"Zat it very touching. I did not know you had an interest on vat I do." Ludwig said.

"Speaking of interest, have you seen my latest invention, guys?" Iggy interrupted.

The two others got interested and they all rushed downstairs. Larry chose to go to the balcony on the upper floor. He looked at the starry night. A few minutes later, footsteps headed toward him. He looked back and saw Isabelle in a magnificent dress.

"Hello, Larry, would you like to accord me a dance?" She asked.

Right after that, a piano started playing Waltz of Flowers. The punk looked around and saw his eldest brother playing the piano. He looked back at his assistant and nodded with a smile.

"Great! I want you to wear your royal attires." The dog said.

The punk snapped his fingers to turn his clothes into his royal outfit. They took each other in their arms; Larry had his hands on Isabelle's side and other hand while the latter had hers on Larry's hand and shoulder. They started dancing until the sonata was over. At the end, Isabelle went for a gentle kiss on his boss's nose, making him blush. She yawned and left the balcony. Larry looked back at Ludwig.

"Let me guess: You're trying to ship me with someone." Larry said.

"Vell, you look excellent together. I could not let zat chance slip." Ludwig commented.

"We're just friends. She's my assistant while I'm the Grassland King."

"Off course. You're good at keeping a secret, Larry, but be careful vho you share it vith." Ludwig teased.

Larry ignored his big brother and headed back downstairs. He reverted back to his old clothes. He went to check on his star friends. Starlow was fully re-established while Geno just got his feelings back but still had issues to express them. Eventually, the puppet would be able to express them at their fullest. Larry did not doubt that. Out of the ordinary, Popple was also there.

"Thanks for fixing my phone, guys. It's been a long time since I didn't call my friends back at Obeanie and they must all be worried sick of me, see?" Popple said.

"You're welcome. Though, the damages on it seemed to be very severe as if someone broke it on purpose." Iggy pointed out.

"Yes, and to add even more, the phone was thrown at high velocity then stomped on it multiple times." Elvin brought up."

The burglar's grin became an embarrassing one and he quickly fled the scene. Larry went back upstairs with his star friends to their room. Once inside, the punk removed his clothes and shell, leaving him in underwear, and sat down on his bed.

"Well, tomorrow, we'll finally be able to restore the world. I wonder how much power the Sword of creation has." Slarlow cheered.

"It is said that the Sword of Creation can even bring back people in case the world was destroyed by an outside force. The circumstances could not be any better to confirm this theory." Geno commented.

Larry was glad that his quest would come to an end very soon. Hearing what his star friends had to say about the Sword of Creation made him even happier. He would finally see his fallen family members again. He would finally put an end to the dry epidemic. Then, he would meet Riley one last time and end him once and for all. The punk went to sleep.

 **END OF ACT 7**


	32. Chapter 8-1

**ACT 8: THE TIME HAS COME**

 **Chapter 8-1: Parting (Disheartened)**

 _ **Larry found himself in the vast throne room of the Koopa Castle. He was at the entrance, far away from the throne. He slowly walked toward it. Something was on the throne. His curiosity had to investigate it. Once he got close enough, he recognized the shadowy silhouette.**_

" _ **Well, Larry, this is your last chance. Ditch your family and claim the throne as yours. Do not listen to these Christmas decorations. They don't know what they're doing. The Sword of Creation being able to restore the world and bring back everyone is but a pathetic myth to give hope to the fools. You're smarter than that. I know it." The silhouette proposed.**_

 _ **Larry stood there, staring at the shadow. For all those days, he wondered who this thing could be. It resembled no one he knew. The punk declined the offer by turning around and then walked away. He would not let a product of his imagination take control of his actions.**_

" _ **You disappoint me, Larry. It's obvious that you changed, too much might I say. Though, I'll confess that to you: I was the one who made up those nightmares about your siblings murdering you. I wanted you to give up on them and head directly to the Koopa Kingdom. Little did I know those nightmares fuelled your will to reconcile your family. You've lost your touch, Larry…" The shadow said.**_

 _ **The koopaling made his way toward the entrance. When he reached halfway, a loud gunshot echoed in the room. The next thing Larry knew is that he felt a sudden unbearable pain to his chest. He looked at himself and saw a hole from where blood slowly flowed out of. His eyes widened, his body ached too much, he stuttered. He fell down on his knees but put a hand on the floor so he won't hit it. The wound kept taking away from him. He then fell on the ground. His view got blurrier by the second. He could not move anymore. He was dying.**_

"… _**And your life too." The silhouette mocked.**_

"Larry, I zink you should vake up. Everyvone is leaving ze castle."

Larry opened his eyes and saw his eldest brother. He was now wearing a white shirt he buttoned clumsily and black pants to give him an attracting look. His haircut was vastly different. He looked more like someone who just woke up. Ludwig was sitting on the bed right next to Larry's.

"What do you mean everyone's leaving?" The punk asked.

"Vell, since you completed your mission, ze castle residents are returning back to zeir home. Your star friends said that ze Sword of Creation could restore multiple vorlds at vonce." His big brother explained.

Larry got off bed and put his clothes back on. He left the room and saw Popple talking on his phone.

"Hello? Yeah, it's Popple, see? I know. It's been a long time I didn't contact you but I was very busy, see? The queen finally lifted the lockdown?! Finally, I can go home… WHAT!? MY TRIAL STILL STANDS!? Guards have been waiting for me at Toad Harbor since yesterday!? Alright, I'll make my way there…"

The conversation angered and saddened the burglar. Larry knew that he would be on death row. He went to the girls' room, hoping Isabelle was still around. He knocked on the door. Luckily, his assistant answered.

"Hi Larry! What do you need today?" Isabelle greeted.

"Hey Isabelle, can you write a release request letter for Popple? He got into trouble and I wanna help him. If you need help, you can ask Kamek." The punk told her.

"It'll be done in a sec!"

Isabelle quickly left her room and rushed upstairs. Popple slowly left the castle. At the same time, Birdo just entered the main hall, looking for her lover.

"Hi sweetie, have you seen Popple?" Birdo asked to Larry.

"He just left. He said something about heading to Toad Harbor." The punk answered.

The dinosaur nodded and left through the main entrance. Larry saw Tatanga and Rosalina about to leave too. The duo went to see him.

"Well, kid, it's time for us to go." Tatanga said.

"Where are you going?" Larry asked.

"For now, we'll stay at my Comet Observatory orbiting around the Mario World while we wait for further instructions from the Space Federation." Rosalina replied.

They bid each other farewell. The dog came back, holding a letter. She gave it to her boss. Larry thanked her and immediately left the castle. He rode on his bike and drove to Toad Harbor. There, a boat was afloat near a dock. Some Obeanian guards were stationed near the boat. Popple and Birdo were near the deck sharing a few words.

"Why didn't you tell me anything, sweetie?" Birdo cried.

"I'm sorry, Cathy. I didn't know I'd have to go back to Obeanie one day. I thought I was done with this place." Popple said.

"Promise me you'll come back."

Popple was no longer grinning. He closed his eyes. If no longer having his grin showed all the sadness and remorse, Popple no longer ended most of his sentences with "see?".

"I'm sorry, Cathy. I can't guarantee you that I'll hold that promise."

Birdo understood that she would never see her lover again. They gave each other one last kiss before they parted away. Birdo walked away, now sobbing. Popple walked toward the boat. He shared a few with the guards to let him know he was ready to face trial. Larry met up with them.

"Excuse me, young sir! This is none of your business!" The guard scolded.

"I have a letter I want your highness to read. This is my release request. Popple was under my supervision since the incident started." Larry explained as he handed the letter to the guard.

"The queen will never listen to…"

The guard just noticed the golden bracers the punk was wearing.

"Wait! You are a king!?" The guard stuttered.

To prove it, Larry snapped his fingers to reveal his true identity.

"In that case, she might consider your proposal. I still have to bring this criminal back to Obeanie though."

The koopaling looked at his friend.

"Boss, why do you insist so much on helping me?"

"Popple, I should've known earlier the Obeanian queen would still want you to stand trial. You've done a lot of great in the recent days and I wanted to thank you by freeing you from the Obeanian authority."

The burglar grinned back, his eyes filled with tears. He hugged his friend one last time and boarded the boat. The two waved at each other until the boat vanished. Larry hoped that it would work, that the Obeanie queen would listen to his request and free Popple. He looked around and saw the inklings about to board another boat. Larry went to see them.

"You're going back to your world, agents?" He asked them.

"Yeah, since your friends told us that our world will also be restored, we'll go back home." Agent 3 said.

"Also, if this world restoration thing doesn't work, we still have our modified splat guns." Agent 4 said.

They bid farewell and the inklings boarded the boat. It sailed toward the sea as a portal opened in front of it. The boat went through the portal. The punk returned to the castle with Birdo but the latter chose to head back to Sandland.

"Larry, about time, where have you been all the morning!?" Starlow yelled as she appeared from his room.

"I had to say some goodbyes to some of the residents." Larry answered, disheartened.

The star sprite felt bad for scolding him. He just wanted to make sure everyone was fine before he started that one last step in his quest. They gathered the remaining residents of the Mushroom Castle. Peach gave back the Star Pendant to Larry. Junior approached his big brother and concentrated his energy to create a light orb. This orb was smaller compared to the others Larry received from his other siblings.

"Go, Larry! I wanna see a world with no dry monsters again!" His libra cheered as the orb went in Larry's body.

Kamek arrived with the Koopa Klaymore and handed it to the punk. The latter summoned the Seven Wand and fused all the royal artifacts together to form the legendary Sword of Creation. It was first thought to be a myth created by a former abundant mankind to make the fools believe anyone could ever reach the status of god. Today, Larry had the sword in his hands. The marvelous weapon had the black stone encrusted on the guard with the other stones encrusted and lined up on the long golden blade. A starman was at the pummel of the sword. The crowd applauded. It was a sight of a lifetime, something anyone would ever see at most once in their existence.

"You know what to do, Larry." Starlow said.

The punk raised the sword as high as he could. He concentrated his energy. He waited and waited. Nothing seemed to be happening. The residents spoke to each other. No one knew what was going on. Larry lowered the sword and looked at his star friends.

"Why's nothing happening?" He asked, lost.

Starlow had no idea what to answer. Her smile and optimism were gone. She was more lost than the punk. She expected the Sword of Creation to work more than anyone else. Geno approached the koopaling and made a contact with him.

"It seems that you possess enough might and heart to wield the Sword of Creation but not enough to use it at its fullest." Geno concluded.

The crowd went back to their business. Larry sat down on his bed. His star friends sat on the bed facing him.

"Why didn't you choose Mario for that as you should have?" Larry angrily asked.

"Larry, we've been through that. It was too risky to choose him because Riley would've still gone after him." Starlow explained

"Besides, even if we chose Mario, he would be unable to absorb the drakoopas' powers in order to make and use the Sword of Creation. The only other hero would be Bowser and he was already targeted by Riley. We could not afford to choose him as usual or we would have already lost." Geno explained.

"I'm sure you won't need too much might and heart to use it properly. Since you were able to summon it, you must be very close to the pinnacle. I have something to ask you: How big were the orbs you other siblings gave you compared to Junior's?" Starlow said.

"Now that you mention it, his orb was half the size compared to theirs." Larry answered.

"That's it… I mean for might. Junior must not be powerful enough to attain his full potential. We need to find your father and free him. Do you have an idea what he holds dear?" Starlow theorized.

"I already tried the locket on him but it didn't work. He must hold me and my other siblings dear and there must be something we all share in common." Larry replied.

"Allow me to read you and your siblings' memories." Geno proposed.

The trio called the rest of the koopa siblings in the room and Geno proceeded to make contact with all of them. After a few minutes, he found something at they and Bowser shared in common.

"I have found a lead. Bowser used to sing a melody to you and the other children, the last time he sang it was the day before the big day when he sang it to Bowser Jr." Geno said.

Junior looked at him surprised. He remembered the melody and sang it:

" **Take a melody;**

 **Simple as can be;**

 **Give it some words and;**

 **Sweet harmony.**

 **Raise your voices;**

 **All day long now, love grows strong now;**

 **Sing a melody of;**

 **Love, oh love."**

The koopalings remembered the melody. It took some more time for Ludwig to remember it since he had been deaf for years. It was their best chance to free their father.

"Now that we have the might problem ready to be solved, we need to know why Larry does have enough heart to use the sword." Geno brought up.

Kamek entered the room and announced that they would return to the Koopa Kingdom. They all packed up but before they left the Mushroom Castle, Larry went back to the toy shop (Chapter 1-4). He entered the toy box and was surprised that the layout completely changed. Thought the main room remained practically the same, there were now six doors, five leading to the founders' rooms with the last one being an actual exit. The punk went to the room that said "Bowser" on it and opened the door. He was surprised to see the room being colorful. Even more shocking, a character resembling Bowser was gently rocking the bed where a much younger version of Larry's father was sleeping. The character looked at Larry and smiled at him.

"Hello again, Lawrence." The character welcomed.

"I thought you could no longer interact with anyone." Larry reminded him.

"I am no more of this world. What you see is a memory fragment of me that your father chose to keep with him." The nameless king chuckled.

"In the end, he wanted you to be part of our family."

"Is that so? I would've thought he would rather keep me out of it."

"He's very forgiving."

"Anyway, how is your quest progressing?"

"Not good, I did make the Sword of Creation and I can wield it but I can't use it. I don't have enough might and heart."

"I would not worry about might. Heart, on the other hand, works differently. It is not just about being kind and helping others. You need to consider yourself. Perhaps that is why the sword judges you in not having enough heart."

Larry did not say anything. He did not want to care for himself, not after all the things he did in the past. He waved goodbye at the nameless king and left the toy box. He returned at the castle. A caravan was parked in front of the stone bridge. His siblings and Kamek were ready to go. They were all inside the castle to meet what remained of the castle residents one last time before heading back to the Koopa Kingdom. The punk joined them.

"I want to thank you for all you've done for us, Larry. I'm sorry if you couldn't restore the world." Peach said.

"Don't worry, my boy. You'll find what you lack and restore it one day." Toadsworth encouraged.

"I think I will stay here instead of going back to Woodland." Elvin said.

Luigi did not say anything but the punk saw that he was holding Peach's hand. It was obvious that he would stay at the castle. Surprisingly, Isabelle was also there. Larry expected her to return to her world.

"You are still with us?" Larry asked.

"Yes, I want to be with you." Isabelle simply answered.

The koopas and the dog bid farewell to the Mushroom Castle residents and entered the caravan. Kamek would be driving it. The star sprites joined them. They left the Mushroom City and hit the road. Larry was lying down on one of the few beds, facing the wall.

"Larry, vat is ze matter?" Ludwig asked.

The punk turned around to face his eldest brother. The latter seemed concerned.

"You obviously know." Larry angrily but quietly replied.

"Listen. Don't feel frustrated if you cannot succeed everyzing on ze first try."

"It's different! I was supposed to restore the world! It's supposed to happen on the first try! Why didn't they choose anyone else?"

"Might can be acquired by anyvone. Zough you might zink Morton or Roy vould be better placed, ze might ze sword is looking for is not brute strength but drakoopa power. As for heart, I' surprised zat you care for ozer first. Zat is harder zan…"

"I'M NOT SELFISH!"

"Larry, it is not about being selfish. You completely neglect yourself. I zink I might know ze reason vhy… Ch…"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"

"See? You are so afraid of yourself. Larry, ve vant to help you but if you keep sending us avay, our help is futile."

Larry faced back the wall. He had enough of talking to Ludwig. He could not stand being called his nickname. He heard an unfamiliar laugh. He looked around, scared. He saw it again, the silhouette. It was not speaking though, just staring at him. It mocked and vanished.

"Larry, are you alright?" Ludwig worryingly asked.

"Forget about it, Ludwig. I'm just tired." Larry replied.

He lied back down on the bed and took a nap. He occasionally jumped but that was because the caravan would sometimes hit a bump. Everyone was worried of what would happen once they reach the Koopa Kingdom. Though they had been away for up to two weeks, these weeks felt like years. They were afraid that there would be no survivors or a new reign would be on place and that it would go against them. Larry heard the others talking about him, talking about finding a way to make him make amend to himself. They were so close yet so far of fulfilling their mission. It was just a matter of time before Larry would eventually reach the might he would need. As for the heart, no one was sure when Larry would finally forgive himself… For what he did to his siblings and his friends… For the cursed name… Cheatsy…


	33. Chapter 8-2

**Chapter 8-2: Welcome Home**

It took the group three days to finally reach the Koopa Kingdom. They slowly entered the land, afraid they might be too late to save anyone. Days became weeks and so on. Two weeks seemed like fourteen years. Larry was sleeping while the caravan reached Neo Bowser City, capital of the Koopa Kingdom named after the former king. The caravan suddenly stopped, waking up the punk. He looked around and found the rest of the group gathered near the front windshield. He stood up and went to see them.

"This might be bad, everyone." Kamek quietly declared as he pointed outside.

Larry took a look at the windshield and saw all the koopa troopas pointing firearms at them. Right in front of the vehicle, a different-looking one was standing there. This bulky female koopa had a muzzle like the koopalings, two fangs coming out of her mouth and a blond ponytail on her light red head. She was holding a boomerang. She made a sign but not everyone could understand it.

"What's she trying to tell us?" Iggy asked.

"She wants us to get out of the caravan. I'll go first." Larry answered.

"Wait! What if it's a trap?" The magikoopa warned.

"We don't have a choice. We must listen to them."

The punk went to the door and opened it. Junior was right behind him but did not get out yet. As Larry left the caravan, the female koopa recognized him and went to him.

"Larry, you're alive, thank goodness!" She cheered.

The punk looked at her but he did not say anything yet. He already had in mind that the female koopa might ask him about BoomBoom since he was one of the last persons who saw him. The memory of having destroyed the dry creature still haunted him.

"Where's BoomBoom? You left the kingdom with him during the big day." The female koopa asked.

"I'm sorry, PamPam. He did not make it." Larry sadly announced.

PamPam's smile slowly vanished and seemed lost. She and BoomBoom had been a couple for years. To lose someone like that would be a cruel joke played by life itself. Junior slowly left the caravan and all the koopa troopas looked at him, surprised.

"The prince's alive!" One of them cheered.

He was quickly scolded for abruptly interrupting a bad new. The rest of the group left the vehicle. Nonetheless, what remained of the koopa population was surprised that the prince, the royal advisor and some of Bowser's royal guards survived the incident. A coronation was organised to elect a new king. Junior stepped forward to claim the title. He did not give a speech so Kamek gave one for him. An hour later, the group was at the castle. Larry remembered when the corridors used to be full of dry creatures, his first meeting with Kraig. He gathered everyone.

"Bros, Kamek, I have something to show you. It's on the hill with the lonesome tree." He said.

The group followed the punk to the outskirt of Neo Bowser City. They arrived at a hill with a single tree and a bush under its leafage. The punk went to the bush and moved it, revealing a stone.

"Junior, may you touch the stone please?" Larry asked to his libra.

Junior nodded and put his hand of the stone. He was not expecting anything to happen at first. Then, magical encryptions appeared on the stone. It was in fact a disguised tombstone. The encryptions read as follow:

"Here lies Clawdia Koopa

1973-2003

Take good care of our child, Bowser. I'm counting on you."

"Wow…" Iggy sighed.

"Her mozer passed away a long time ago…" Ludwig whispered.

Junior cried to see his mother's grave. He hugged it. For all those years, the truth was kept away from him by his own father. He wanted to believe he could finally meet her in person. He was not expecting her to have passed away however let alone the same year he was born. Larry still remembers the day when…

 _On a rainy day, Bowser finally returned from his trip to Obeanie. He entered the castle with an egg in his hands. He spoke to no one that day and directly went to his room. He was crying. The koopalings did not know what was going on that day. A man's dream was reached but immediately broken. They did not know either what the egg was or why their father held on to it._

"I'm sorry, Junior. I wish she was alive just like you wanted." Larry mourned.

The new king left the tombstone alone and hugged Larry.

"You don't have to apologise, Larry. I'm glad that I finally know the truth." He just said.

The group returned to the Koopa Castle. They had to go to the office because Kamek had something important to announce to his grandchildren.

"Since Bowser had now passed away, he wrote his last wills in this grimoire I have with me. This book contains all your inheritances. I however have to translate it since your father wrote it in ancient drakoopa language. It should not take too long." The magikoopa announced.

While the other koopalings and Junior waited here, Larry decided to go on a stroll. Starlow followed him to make sure he would not get too far. The punk first went to his room. He remembered when he used to live here, the times he spent with his family. Those days were gone far away. They would never come back. He put his sidepack near his bed and the suitcase Riley gave him next to it.

"What's that suitcase for?" Starlow asked.

"You might not believe it but it's a way to get to Riley. He gave it to me and told me to meet him once I'm done on the Mario World. He said something about settling the score." Larry answered.

They both left the room and Larry headed to Neo Bowser City. He was curious to see how much was preserved since the incident. He was surprised to see that most of the koopa population was still intact. There was no vaccine for them. Though, some clever planning and technology might have saved them. Nearly no buildings were vandalized. The city took back its normal cycle shortly after the virus was released. Larry kept walking until he arrived at an abandoned building. The building was in state of disrepair a few years ago and no one bought the property.

"What are we doing here?" Starlow asked.

The punk was about to answer her but…

"Larry!"

He looked around and saw Ludwig joining him.

"Kamek finished translated our fazer's last vill!" The eldest koopaling announced.

He paused for a moment and looked at the abandoned building. He recognized it and looked back at his little brother.

"Vhy did you return here? Zere is no need to dvelve on ze past." He said.

"I just wanted to see the place one more time." Larry replied.

"Larry, I know you still feel regretful because of vat you did to us and ze ozers. Allow us to help you."

"Why do you insist so much?"

"Do you remember ven…"

 _On the fourth year celebration of peace between the two kingdoms, Larry and Ludwig got the brilliant idea to play an orchestra at the celebration in a stadium. Larry chose the orchestra and was preparing the stage while Ludwig would orchestrate the song. The composition was one of the very few that used cannons as instruments. The punk was preparing the cannons for the grand finale. Once done, he went to see his big brother and made a sign._

" _Vell zen, let us test ze cannons!" Ludwig proudly declared._

 _The punk went to the control board but Ludwig remained behind. He pressed some buttons to test the cannons. The loud explosion echoed through the vast stadium. The punk went back to his big brother but was horrified when he saw him lying down on the ground. He quickly went to him and turned him. His face was covered with burnt gunpowder, his eyes were closed. Luckily, the cannons were not loaded with cannonballs. Larry shook his brother for a brief moment. Ludwig opened his eyes._

" _Larry? Vat just happened? I…" Ludwig started._

 _He seemed surprised. He first smiled and then laughed. Larry was not sure what was going on with him. Maybe the gunpowder rendered him crazy._

" _Larry, I can hear again! I can hear my voice! I'm cured! It's a miracle!" The eldest koopaling claimed as he shook his little brother's hand._

" _Are you sure about that?" Larry confusedly asked._

" _YES! Ask me somezing, anyzing!"_

" _Well… What is Wendy's favorite color?"_

" _She loves pink!"_

 _Larry was surprised. He though Ludwig would remain deaf for the rest of his life. Nonetheless, he was glad that his big brother could hear again. During the symphony, Ludwig shredded a tear for being able to hear the composition his little brother chose._

"I know you might find ze reason absurd but I found out vy I could not hear for all zose years." Ludwig said.

He searched in his pockets and pulled some debris.

"I don't understand." Larry said.

"Zese vere stuck inside my head. Remember ven I got caught in zat accident during our first vacation trip? Some debris of ze explosion entered my head and stayed all zose years. Zey vere too deep for anyvone to see zem. At ze fourth year of peace celebration, I took a peek in vone of ze cannons because I vas curious. Ze explosion caused by ze cannons shook everyzing inside my head and ze debris slid out. After you vent to me, I saw zem. It seemed unfamiliar to ze stadium because zey did not look like anyzing from ze place." His big brother explained.

"If you say so."

"Bah! Never mind zat!"

Ludwig approached his little brother and hugged him.

"Larry… If this can comfort you, I also disliked being called by my nickname."

"But you couldn't hear anything before Junior was born."

"Oh, trust me. Our siblings made sure zat I knew they referred me as Kooky for my laugh. I hated zat name. It sounded so horrible."

"Do you think it's enough to understand my pain? Do you remember why you and the others called me Cheatsy?"

"Ve need to start somevere to make you made amend to yourself, Larry. Anyway, are you coming back vith me at ze castle?"

"I'll finish my stroll and I'll come back to the castle?"

"Aren't you in a hurry to find out about your inheritance?"

"It can wait."

Ludwig nodded and left the duo. Larry decided to enter the abandoned building. Starlow followed him as usual. A few cobwebs were formed on the wooden beams. The punk walked around inside the abandoned building. He went to a room filled with many beds. He still remembered when he used to be an orphan. He had to share the same room with the other koopalings and, with the relations he had with them before adoption, it was unpleasant for his mind. He sat on the bed he used to sleep in. He closed his eyes. The foster mother passed away around the same time when Bowser returned home with the egg. It was first thought that she was Junior's true mother but it only happened to be a coincidence. The punk stood up and went to the backyard. He still remembered when the others would steal his favorite toy and throw it at each other while he was trying to get it back. He still remembered that time when he fell into the mud pool. However, he did treasure a moment here. He spotted a tree near the stone fence that was slowly degrading over time. He went to it and sat down under the tree.

"Larry, what is this place?" The star sprite asked.

"I remember when I met Bowser for the first time..." Larry whispered as he closed his eyes.

 _The next day after the play The Silent Knight, the koopalings were called for an interview with the Koopa King. Larry, being too ashamed to show himself after being humiliated in front of him, left through the bedroom's window and went hiding behind the tree. He was curled up, crying. He lost all hope of ever being adopted by the king let alone anyone. The world saw that he was just a crybaby. Who would ever want to adopt someone like him when the others are much more interesting? Ludwig was the oldest which meant he would be the least difficult to raise him. Lemmy might be childish but his flamboyant personality would gain the smile of anyone. Roy was super tough. No one would have to worry about him being bullied. Iggy was smart. No one would worry about him failing school. Wendy was pretty. Everyone would want to be with her. Morton had a share of all the other koopalings. He was the perfect child. Larry… Larry had nothing in particular. He was just normal. He heard footsteps coming his way but he did not care. He wanted to be alone today. The footsteps came closer and they stopped._

" _Hey there, little buddy." A new voice spoke._

 _Larry never heard the voice before. He peeked out of his hands and saw the king. He was expecting the adult to mock him so he hid his face again._

" _What's wrong, buddy?" The adult asked._

 _Larry did not answer. He could not speak. The king sat down next to him._

" _Is it because of the play? Listen, Ms. Koopsworth explained to me that the play wasn't meant to happen like that. Both you and Ludwig went against the script but you two had different intentions. Ludwig only cared about fame while you wanted to believe you can change people." The king explained._

 _The punk slowly looked at the adult. The latter seemed sincere._

" _I admire how you want to help others with their problems. You can see that rules can't always make you do the right thing. I saw that optimism in your face when you lent your hand to the baron. The hope, the smile, you are what I seek as a child and successor to the throne." The king added._

 _Those words made the child smile. He wiped the tears off his face and stood up. The adult picked him up. As they were heading toward the orphanage, the foster mother ran to them._

" _Thank goodness you found him, your highness! I was afraid we lost him!" She said, worried._

" _I would not worry too much about him. At his age, he's very tenacious. Say, what's your name, buddy?" his highness said._

" _He can't speak. He's named…"_

"… _Larry."_

 _The foster mother was surprised that Larry finally spoke. She though the little child would never speak in his life._

" _Well, that's a nice name for you. You look exactly like a Larry." Bowser complimented._

 _They returned inside the orphanage where Larry would pass his interview without speaking. In the end, Bowser adopted the seven drakoopas and brought them home. The other koopalings felt uncomfortable to be with Larry at first but they eventually played with him. Little did they know Larry would help each of his siblings solve their problems._

"Are you afraid to be cheated on?" An unwelcome voice whispered.

Larry snapped out of it and saw the shadowy silhouette once again, standing in front of him.

"You should make sure everything's fine at the castle, just to make sure no one's gonna backstab you." The silhouette mocked before vanishing.

The punk quickly stood up. He ran toward the Koopa Castle. If he was not what he feared the most, betrayal would step in. But who would betray him? Maybe Kamek lied about wanting to change. That would not surprise him at all. What about Junior? It could not be him. He was way too young to plot anything like that. Iggy was already out of question. He had no intention of becoming the king. Last but least, his eldest brother, Ludwig, might be the traitor. He was a koopa obsessed with power. Larry ran as fast as he could. He entered the castle into the throne room. All the guards he came across saluted him but the punk ignored them. He was too concerned to wave back at them. He ran around the throne and into the corridor. He saw two silhouettes sat around a door. When he got close enough, he recognized his two big brothers. They had their head lowered and their eyes closed. They seemed disappointed.

"Unbelievable…" Iggy complained.

"Preposterous!" Ludwig lamented.

"What's going on?" Larry promptly asked.

The two brothers gasped when they saw their little brother in front of them. They quickly stood up and blocked the way to the door.

"Why are you blocking the way?" Larry asked.

"It's for you own good, bro!" Iggy stuttered.

"Zere is no need to go in right now!" Ludwig replied.

Something was obviously going on in the king's room. They should not have stood in the way.

"Move…" Larry coldly ordered.

His obsession of wanting to know everything blinded him. He was not himself right now. Iggy started trembling when his little brother spoke to him in an unusual tone. Ludwig struggled to stay brave in front of his little brother. He was the oldest and Larry the youngest but Larry was also the most aggressive of the koopalings.

"Larry, just forget about zat. I told you…" Ludwig started.

"I said…"

Larry took his eldest brother by an arm and…

"MOVE!"

He hurled Ludwig onto the wall behind him. The eldest koopaling then fell down on the floor, too injured to stand back up. Only Iggy was in the way now. Larry approached his big brother.

"Come on, bro! You won't hit someone that wears glasses, right?" Iggy begged.

"Don't press your luck. There are plenty of places I can hit a guy wearing glasses." The punk threatened.

Afraid for his life, Iggy immediately moved out of the way. Larry opened the door. The room was in a mess: books were open and scattered all over the royal bed, Kamek was desperately searching among the books and Junior was sat on the only chair the room had, lost in his thoughts.

"Junior, I'm telling you that he was planning to give your siblings something upon his death!" Kamek said.

"It's no use, Kammy. Papa never loved them." Junior whispered.

Larry could not believe it. The person that betrayed him was none other than his very father, the koopa that took him under his wing and raised him. He started trembling. He looked at his libra. Anger consumed Larry's mind.

"You… You took everything from me!" Larry declared.

Junior started crying.

"I should've known he would ditch me and the others over you!" The punk added.

"Larry, we don't need to respect his last will. We can still live as a family together." The king begged.

"Don't you know what it means!? Of course you don't at your age! Let me tell you loud and clear: He just used me and your other siblings to make himself look better. He used me to ensure he would stay king until you would be ready to become one! He took away my childhood, Junior! How are you gonna repay me my childhood!? Coins!? Money can't buy time, you stupid brat!"

"Larry, stop! Why are you so eager to destroy what's left of our family?"

Such remark disgusted the punk as if he was the one to blame for all of that. Anger and sadness filled his eyes. He was no longer himself. He had been living in a lie since his libra was born.

"We were never a family in the first place. Having known that my dream would've taken away everything from me…" Larry started whispering.

"Larry, please stay with us. We're still a…"

The punk took the prince by his shoulders.

"… I WOULD'VE NEVER WISHED FOR YOU!" The punk shouted.

He then immediately left the room. All the years he spent with the former king apparently meant nothing for the adult. His two other brothers tried to follow him but he ran too fast. He lost them. He headed to his rooms. He saw the star sprites.

"Larry, what is happening?" Starlow asked.

"I'm leaving. I'm murdering that monster then I'm leaving for good."

"What do you mean you're leaving for good?"

"Do I have to spell it out that I'll never come back here?"

"But why? You can't just leave the Mario World like that, Larry. We chose you to restore it, not run away!"

"It doesn't work, does it?!"

"But why? Why are you leaving all of us?"

"How about you get a family only to get backstabbed by it before squeaking out idiocies you stupid balloon!"

Starlow did not answer. The punk went in his room and closed the door. It had no way to lock it from the inside. He sat on his bed and looked at the suitcase Riley gave him. He opened it and only saw a big red button in the middle. He pressed it and a blue energy ring formed itself around him. A sudden flash occurred and the koopaling was now in a spaceship. Its black unusually shaped reception room had a few green lights brightening the place. An alien, like the one he saw in Sealand, welcomed him aboard.

"So, you must be Larry Koopa." The alien guessed.

"Just call me Larry. I'm here to see your boss." The punk answered.

"He's on the bridge. Don't waste his time."

Larry walked through the corridors. Good thing the ship had signs to indicate were the most important rooms were. He followed them and eventually reached the bridge. Once inside, only Riley was there, staring at the Mario World through a window that took all the width of the room. The alien boss turned around, with a smile on his face.

"Well… We're finally here, Larry." Riley said.

As the punk approached him, many footsteps came from behind.

"Larry!"

"Vait!"

His two big brothers somehow found a way inside the ship and joined the punk.

"Oh, I was not expecting you to bring any guests but you know what they say: The more, the merrier." Riley joked.

The alien whistled and a dry creature appeared. It was Dry Bowser. It was the first time that Iggy and Ludwig saw him. They were terrified. Larry looked around him and spotted a sledgehammer, the one Riley used to break a deserter's dry version. He went to it and grabbed it.

"It's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll have. Bone-ser, wreck them!" Riley ordered.

Dry Bowser did not react to his order. He stood still, emptily staring at what used to be some of his children. The locket that Larry showed him pacified him but Larry did not care. For him, it was an occasion to make his former father pay for leaving the koopalings behind. With the sledge in his hand, he first landed a hit on Dry Bowser's knee, no remorse, no sorry face, only revenge. Riley was terrified, the irony took over him. He was the one to terrorise people with his sadistic actions but now he was terrorised. Larry did not care either for his reaction. When the dry creature fell on his knees, he kept hitting him on the head. Iggy cried and begged his little brother to stop. He did not dare go close to him in fear Larry would hit him with the sledgehammer. Ludwig closed his eyes and looked away, disgusted. Every hit echoed through the room. Despite his strongest efforts, Larry could not manage to break his father's bones. It was too sturdy. The punk stopped and took some deep breath. Riley was no longer terrified and regained his crooked smile.

"Well, it seems things have changed lately. Here's a deal: join me. I'll give everything you want, even the power to break your father's bone. In fact, I can give his empty carcass to you right now." Riley deviously proposed.

"Larry, you can't accept his proposal! What about our world? Will you leave it in ruins like that?" Iggy asked.

"Ve all know you are smarter zan zat, Larry!" Ludwig said.

"Don't worry guys. I'm just here to finish him once and for all." Larry whispered.

"Is that so? I have a special prize for you, Larry. Don't you want to SEE IT!?" The alien screamed out as he pulled a new futuristic firearm from his back.

The firearm sprayed blue-purple flames. Larry got immediately engulfed. His scales were burning. The pain was intense. He did not scream though. Having known that his father never care for him, his feelings were already gone long before his demise. His sight blurred. His brother begged him to fight back while Riley's laugher filled the punk's mind. There was no more he could do. He was leaving this universe. He was… dying…

So ends the story of our odd protagonist, he who went across all of Amarioca to find his siblings, restore order in the lands and gather the royal artifacts. No one suspected that an absence of inheritance would convince him that his adoptive never loved him. He should have been suspecting since his little brother's birth that he would be left out of the family. Even a blind fool reminded him but our protagonist chose to ignore them. In the end, it costed his life and all the hope put to restore the Mario World. No doubt his two big brothers would be turned into dry creatures by Riley and that the latter would go after what remained of the Mario World. It no longer matter for the protagonist. He was no more. The royal artifacts and most of the drakoopas' power were gone. All hope is lost… All is lost…

End of Act 8

The End


	34. Chapter 8-3

WARNING: The first part of this chapter ( _ **in bold-italic**_ ) contains strong language and graphic sceneries.

 **Chapter 8-3: The Scion's Dance in Purgatory**

" _ **Rise and shine, Larry. Rise and Shine…" A voice whispered.**_

 _ **Larry recognized that voice. It was it again. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a place he had never seen before. Something was not right. He could only move his eyes to look around him. Though, he remembered that he died. This unreal world had water flowing upside down from islands to islands. They were floating and did not stand in a particular direction. They hovered in the blue-purple sky filled with miasma. In front of the punk, he saw his muzzle, now turned grey. He became a dry creature. He wanted to scream but nothing came out. Farther away, he saw the silhouette again. That one thing could follow him everywhere but where were they exactly?**_

" _ **Well, look who's rotting now. Yes, Larry, you did leave me to rot but now the tables have changed. How ironic but I love that because you're the one paying for, not me. I told you it'll bite you back in the shell. You didn't listen and had to protect that little pest. That last moment with him was my favorite. You ditched him and everyone else, just like I wanted, but did not claim the throne. It was too late anyway. That's what you get for giving so much to everyone. No one gave anything back to you and you lost everything." The silhouette mocked.**_

 _ **Larry never had any plan to take over the Koopa Kingdom but why was the silhouette mentioning that every time? Did he want some power deep inside him? And who was the silhouette to know so much about the punk?**_

" _ **Where are my manners? But I should not really need to present myself. It's not that you don't know me, Larry. It's that you don't want to remember me. Yet, your friends keep saying my name. Do you remember when we and the other koopalings kept calling each other names? Do you remember those: Kooky, Hip, Bully, Hop, Kootie Pie, Big Mouth, and my personal favorite…" The silhouette started as he walked toward Larry.**_

 _ **As it got closer, the shadowy appearance started to resemble a person more and more. Once there was no more shadow, Larry was terrified to see what was stalking him all that time: an inner demon posing as a perverted version of he himself. This perversion had a slightly darker skin tone, a blue-green head and a more beaked mouth with two curved fangs coming out compared to the punk's feline one. His round eyes were barely open and had many red veins that covered most of the white. His hairs were darker and messed up. The demon crouched down, still standing on his feet, to have his head closer to what remained of Larry.**_

"… _**Cheatsy…" The demon proudly whispered.**_

 _ **The punk was scared. All that time, what stalked him was himself. He had never seen this part of himself. Perhaps it was what he would imagine what would happen to himself if Junior never came to exist.**_

" _ **Aren't you glad to see me again? It's me, Cheatsy, your fag!" The perversion "cheered".**_

 _ **Larry's fear of himself was so out of proportion that he could not see himself as a normal being. Cheatsy quickly lost his good mood and became enraged.**_

" _ **Of course you're not fucking happy to see me! You replaced me by that little shit you call your libra! Serves you fucking right to rot like that!" The demon furiously ranted.**_

 _ **All those mean words shook Larry's mind. He never thought someone could be that rude let alone himself. Cheatsy slowly stood up.**_

" _ **There goes my careful planning blown to shit thanks to you! You screwed up real good, asshole!" The perversion shouted at Larry.**_

 _ **The punk figured it out. He never wished for the throne. This demon was created with his fear of himself after Junior was born and his envy toward his siblings before Junior was born. He attempted to use Larry to obtain the Koopa throne and, once done, he would have taken over the punk. The demon slowly stood back up and calmed himself down.**_

" _ **No, no, don't think I'm mad at you. In fact, I'm very happy to see you here, with me." He chuckled.**_

 _ **The perversion snapped his fingers and Larry was pulled upward until his head reached Cheatsy height. Here, His inner demon had all the powers in this world. He could do whatever he wanted without anyone being able to do anything against him. Cheatsy summoned an aluminium baseball bat.**_

" _ **We have so much time to catch back, Larry. We have to start now if we want to be up to date." He mocked.**_

 _ **The demon raised his bat and started hitting Larry. The punk could not do or say anything. He could only watch, hear and, of course, feel. He felt that his bones would break every time the perversion hit him but they did not. He was doomed to suffer for eternity. There was no more hope of getting out of it. It was not like it mattered to him. After being betrayed by his own father, he wished for nothing. He should have thought of himself. He should have fought that fear but it grew so strong that it became a person in his mind. What seemed to be an eternity later, a green silhouette showed up. Larry recognized the dinosaur he met in the toy box (Chapter 1-4). He looked at him. The demon turned around and saw it too.**_

" _ **Aaah, it took you long enough." Cheatsy impatiently said.**_

" _ **Sorry, this place is very maze-like and the islands constantly moving did not help to find my way to you." The dinosaur replied.**_

 _ **Larry wanted to say something to them. It was obvious that the dinosaur would try to bring him back to life but he would not bring the right person. Alas, the punk could not move his mouth. He was doomed to stay here. There was no hope left in him.**_

" _ **So, about bringing me back to life…" Cheatsy gladly brought up.**_

" _ **I'm sorry to tell you that, Larry, but there's no way to bring you back to life." The dinosaur answered.**_

" _ **What!? You must be joking! You wouldn't come here just to tell me I can't live again unless… You figure it out, you cunt!"**_

" _ **You are not Larry, just a crooked reflection coming from a distorted mirror. You shall not possess what does not belong to you!"**_

" _ **Well, now that you know all of it…"**_

 _ **Larry noticed that Cheatsy pulled something out of his shell. A blade quickly emerged out of the object.**_

"… _**Here's your PRIZE!" Cheatsy threatened as he grabbed the dinosaur by the chin and slit the throat with the knife.**_

 _ **Larry had no choice but to see the gory sight. So much blood came from the dinosaur's open wound. It was struggling hard to breathe. He fell down on the ground, lifeless, his eyes still open. The Kamek abomination was not able to destroy the memory fragment because it was also one. Cheatsy, on the other hand, was an inner demon that had the power to manipulate Larry's mind at will. This new angered the demon. He was not amused at all.**_

" _ **Can't… Go… Back… Must… Vent out… Anger" The perversion whispered as he trembled, filled with wrath.**_

 _ **He slowly turned back toward the punk's remains and smiled again.**_

" _ **Yes, that'll do." The demon continued as he took back his baseball bat and approached the dry koopaling.**_

 _ **He went back delivering as much pain as he could to his living counterpart. He laughed hysterically. Every blow he delivered calmed him down more and more until he got exhausted.**_

" _ **Well, I'll just take a nap over there. It's not like I'm getting out of here anyway. And you are further than me from escaping." Cheatsy quietly declared.**_

 _ **The demon walked away and lied down on the ground, next to the dinosaur's corpse. Larry heard faint voices calling his name. What were those? They seemed familiar. There were six of them, even a seventh one that mentioned a different name. He heard footsteps but his inner demon was too tired to hear them. A giant dry koopa got in his sight. Larry first thought it was Bowser until the creature approached him and…**_

" _ **Lawrence, it is not your time to fall. I will give you what remains of my existence to lift out your curse. You must fight your inner demon by yourself. The world is counting on you." The dry creature said.**_

 _ **It focused its energy in its skeletal hands and Larry was wrapped in light. It blinded him and he started gaining back his feelings of his body. When the light faded away, the punk was no longer a dry creature. He was not wired to strings either. He walked toward his inner demon, ready to fight it. Cheatsy woke up and saw that his torture toy got freed. He started panicking and crawled backward. It lost all its confidence. It only had it when Larry could not do anything against it. It was nothing but a heartless coward. Larry caught up to it and grabbed it by the neck.**_

" _ **I'll show you to man up, you horrendous travesty!" Larry yelled as he raised his fist and punched Cheatsy.**_

 _ **Somehow, he also felt the pain. The perversion smiled again. What sorcery was that?**_

" _ **What a fool you are. I'm you, Larry. How can you kill yourself and expect to live? What a grand and intoxicating innocence. How could you be so naïve? There is no escape. Not even a pipe can work in this place. Come, lay down that fighting spirit, it is not too late for mercy." Cheatsy mockingly proposed.**_

 _ **Larry knew that his inner demon was just talking big to give the impression that he was in charge. He put the demon down and turned around. He was not expecting to see him there too.**_

" _ **You take another step and here I am again, like your reflection in a hall of mirrors." The perversion mocked.**_

" _ **That makes me one ugly degenerate. How did all those veins get into my eyes?" Larry replied.**_

" _ **Laugh it up, Larry! You can't escape anyway!" The demon let out, insulted.**_

 _ **The punk clenched his fists. He had to fight him but no amount of punches or kicks would do the trick. He would also feel the pain. It infuriated him that he might be stuck here forever. At least, he could no longer suffer from Cheatsy. He then fell something wet in his fist. He opened them back and saw a blue-purple liquid dripping from a claw. He was still a dry creature in the real world. He got an idea. Maybe if he managed to infect Cheatsy it would do nothing against the koopaling because he was already infected. He looked back at the demon and smiled.**_

" _ **What are you doing?" The demon arrogantly asked, big crooked smile on his face.**_

" _ **You know, Cheatsy. Maybe you're right. I should embrace that past instead of running away from it. How about we shake hand?" Larry declared as he approached him.**_

 _ **He raised his hand, showing the perversion the liquid dripping out of his claw. Cheatsy noticed it and his smile vanished. He panicked again and slowly walked backward.**_

" _ **WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" The demon asked, terrified.**_

" _ **Thing is that it's not you I'd embrace. I'll treasure all the experience I gathered while working as a spy. You changed me, Cheatsy, I won't deny that. But my family is what kept me on the right path."**_

 _ **The inner demon tried to run away but fell on his shell.**_

" _ **FOOL!" He shouted.**_

" _ **Yes, I should've made myself immune to the ultimate disease. You however failed to notice that I didn't do it because I was afraid of you. I did it because I thought I could avoid it." Larry said as he grabbed the perversion with his hand.**_

" _ **STOP!" The demon begged.**_

 _ **The punk cut an open wound on his perverted counterpart. The liquid flowed inside. He also felt the same pain.**_

" _ **This can't be the end… That bitter… Fucking…" Cheatsy started.**_

 _ **He spontaneously combusted in blue-purple flames. He screamed in agony. The voices that called Larry's name became louder. The punk looked around and saw a light far away, across a huge gap with many floating islands. He approached the gap and the island formed a bridge toward freedom.**_

" _ **LARRY, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! IF I EVER GET OUT OF THIS FUCKING SHITHOLE I'M GONNA GUT YOU SO FUCKING HARD!"**_

 _ **The koopaling looked back at his inner demon. It was struggling to stand up. One of its eyes was hanging down from its slot. Its organs were exposed. Some of them were charred while others were burning. Its intestine was dragging down behind like a long tail, burning. Cheatsy tripped on a rock and fell down.**_

" _ **Another thing: I don't need coins. I have at least four sources of income. What would I do with more coins!? No… What took me to be angered that my dad wasn't planning to give me anything upon death? I don't need anything. He raised me this way to make sure neither me nor the other koopalings would ever need to rely on him. He raised me as a free koopa. I AM A FREE KOOPA! Devoid of the chains the, corruption, and the betrayal that come with power, the envy, I am not a victim of your sufferings!" Larry declared.**_

 _ **It was over for Cheatsy. He could no longer bargain anything. He tried to crawl toward Larry but the pain was too unbearable for him to move.**_

" _ **Larry… Please… Don't leave me like that… I promise I'll change… Please… End this suffering… I can't…" The demon started.**_

 _ **The island the perversion was lying on shattered and the inner demon fell into the infinite void. Cheatsy did not leave any last words. Only his scream of fear, his cowardice and his rotting body were part of his last moment. The punk got scared and ran toward the light, fearing the other islands would shatter under his feet. When reached the light, he looked behind one last time. He saw a giant black hole that sucked in everything. Islands shattered, water flew into the black hole, and even the sky was pulled in to make place to a black sense of emptiness. A dark familiar arm pulled the punk into the light.**_

"LARRY!" A familiar voice rejoiced.

The punk found himself in Morton's arms. He looked behind his big brother and saw all his siblings save for Junior. Even Iggy and Ludwig were there. This new world was completely white. There was nothing here but them. Morton put his little brother down and all the koopalings gathered around the youngest. They were all happy to see him again. Larry was also glad to be with them but their presence reminded him that he was no more. His happiness quickly shifted into sadness.

"I'm sorry, guys. I've failed all of you." Larry mourned.

"Don't fret it, Larry-o. You did more than any of us would've ever done." Wendy reassured.

"Besides, we should be the ones to apologise to you." Iggy started.

"Guys, I got over the orphanage. It's alright. You all already apologised once. There's no need to apologise again." Larry reminded them.

"Ya don't understand, lad. We used ya." Roy claimed.

"What? How?" Larry asked back, surprised.

"Remember ze problems ve had? Vell, most of zem vere made up." Ludwig declared.

"Why?" Larry asked again.

The other koopalings looked at each other and looked back at Larry.

"Did you think we were unaware of the reason you started working as a spy for dad? He told us everything because he saw in you that you were afraid of being overshadowed by us. So, we invented some problems in an attempt to make you quit your job and be with us. We wanted you to be with us. We missed you a lot, Larry. It sucked that you had to leave most weekends and a huge majority of summer vacations just because of your job. You were a child. You shouldn't have to work that much. You paid a huge chunk of your childhood just so you wouldn't feel inferior to any of us." Iggy cried.

"If your problems were made up, they seemed too real for that. By example, you, Morton, had no friends at all!" Larry pointed out.

"YES! MORTON HAD NO FRIENDS SO MORTON USED THAT TO HELP LARRY!" Morton yelled.

"You, Wendy, you were so afraid of being seen as weak if someone helped you."

"I only reacted like that in your presence, Larry-o. I stopped when I got too far and almost lost my life." Wendy replied.

"You, Iggy, you were suffering of a crippling depression. I was afraid to lose you."

"At first, it was real but when Bowser showed me his hobby of building toys it stopped. However, I pretended to still be depressed to get your attention." Iggy answered.

"You, Roy, don't tell me you failed your first year at school on purpose."

"Yup! It was elementary school, lad. Ya can catch that pretty easily!" Roy chuckled.

"Lemmy, what about your fear of change?"

"Did you really buy into that? You're so gullible, Larry! I never feared changes in the first place. I was afraid that Iggy would remain sad too but I pretended that it was because he was changing." Lemmy laughed.

"Ludwig..."

"My problem vas ze only vone ve vere all afraid ve vould never be able to fix. Ze ozers never truly left and ignored me. Zey only ignored me in your presence to convince you zat zey no longer cared for me."

All those problems, they were all part of a plan to convince Larry to quit his job of being a spy for the Koopa Kingdom. He was lost. He thought he was the one helping his family while in fact, his family was helping him more than just being with him.

"Why didn't any of you just ask me to quit?" Larry quietly asked.

His siblings all looked at each other. The punk realized that it would have changed nothing or it would have made things worse. Maybe he would have just brushed away the question and answered that it was to make coins. Maybe he would have ended up becoming Cheatsy. The past would remain past and nothing else would happen.

"In the end, what really made you quit was Junior." Wendy said.

"On a side note, you didn't ditch Junior like we thought you would have because you were no longer the little brother of the family. You stayed with him and made sure that what happened to you would never happen to him." Iggy pointed out.

Yes, Larry had indeed been a great big brother to Junior. He treasured all the memories he had with him even if he screamed at him before dying. He wanted to return to the world at least one last time just to apologise to the prince. It would not matter if he only had one hour. He simply wanted to make sure his libra was fine despite of him. The punk was glad that Junior would not end up like him.

"LOOK! MARIO AND FRIENDS ARE HERE!" Morton shouted.

Larry looked toward were Morton was pointing and saw Mario and Digby but also the green dinosaur. This time, he was not a memory fragment. It was really him. He passed away after giving away his life to protect Mario during the Smith War. The punk was surprised to see them here. Alas, it reminded him that he was stuck here forever. Fortunately, a glimpse of hope appeared when Larry heard many voices calling his name.

"Larry, can you hear me?" Starlow's voice asked.

Everyone was exited. They all looked around but could not see who was speaking.

"Starlow!? Where are you? How can you talk to me?"

"You're not completely alive or dear. You're stuck between two worlds which means you can either return to us or leave or world. I've gathered all your friends to gather as much power as we can to bring you back. Do you want to return to us?"

Larry looked at the others. They all smiled at him and nodded.

"Yes, I want to return."

"Good, here they come!"

Many voices called for him, begged him to come back.

"Now, now, my boy, you can't leave a task undone! Get back on your feet now!"

"I want to thank you for reuniting Amarioca together. You must come back to restore our world!"

"C'mon, boss! The master thief can't just leave us like that, see?"

"Larry… I don't care if you did bad thigs before I was born. I don't care if you screamed at me. You're still my big brother. I have your inheritance so, please, come back for your libra!"

"You gave me a second chance at life. I don't see why you shouldn't get yours!"

"Larry, I know we didn't meet often and that our first meeting was really awkward but I appreciated being with you. Please, stop my brother! Free him!"

"We've gotten so far in this! You showed me so much of the world. We went through so much suffering to restore the world! We can't just fall like that!"

"I love you, Larry. You saved me and everyone you could. Now, I want to save you!"

"Even if there is a single percentage to come back, you must take it at all cost. You can still return among us!"

"Come back, sweetie! Who would I have left if you leave us?"

"Don't let this monster beat you!"

"Just do it!"

"If science will not bring you back, hope will!"

"I'll put my fears aside just to bring you back! Mario and I are counting on you!"

"Come on, kid! You put heck of fights. Come back and put another fight to remember!"

"Lawrence, you must fight back! Do not let this world rot in the hands of a monster. You have everything to restore the world!"

"The stars are shining upon you. The lumas want you to return!"

"TO-YAH!"

Larry's body brightened more and more after every calls but he was still here.

"I'm sorry, Larry. We can't gather anymore energy." Starlow's voice said.

What seemed to be the end for our odd protagonist instead became otherwise when Mario put his hand on his shoulder and thumbed him up. The light brightened even more.

"Thank you for taking care of my sister. I can never thank you enough. Please, go back there and prevail once again!" Digby shouted.

"Your heart is at its purest. You must return and wield the Sword of Creation!" The green dinosaur said.

The punk looked back at his siblings. He remembered a time when…

 _It must have been midnight, a few weeks before the big day. Larry just returned home from the F3. Even if he did not win, he put up a good fight against the hero of Amarioca. When he entered his house in Grassland, he got a surprise of a life time when the other siblings celebrated his exploit. To be fair, being able to make a fight last against the legendary jumpman was indeed an exploit. They brought food because they though the youngest koopaling might be hungry from all that fighting he did. During that night, his siblings made a promise that they would return the favor for helping them with their problem._

"GO LARRY! TEACH BAD GUY LESSON!" Morton yelled.

"You're our superstar, Larry-o! You're the one that made it this far!" Wendy reminded him.

"Humiliate the monster! I wanna have something to laugh at for the eternity!" Iggy proposed.

"I may be our boy but yer our boss! Show them who's the boss!" Roy cheered.

"Kick that alien's butt!" Lemmy ordered.

The light became so strong that it blinded Larry. He could no longer see anyone. He heard Ludwig's voice.

"Larry… My dear little brozer… You have grown up so much… I vant to zank you for being vith me all along… I know I'm repeating myself but zere vill never be a vay to zank you properly… Your fate shall not end now… Ze future is all but past… So lift up your heart and make a new start! Now, go back zere and fight for our vorld!"


	35. Chapter 8-4

**Chapter 8-4: End of All**

"Larry!" Junior's voice screamed, rejoiced.

"How can this be happening?" Kraig's voice asked, confused.

The light did not have time to completely fade away as Larry was immediately hugged by someone. When he could see again, he was back on the ship's bridge. Junior was hugging him while Kraig was sat in front of them. The punk was not expecting to see them here. Dry bowser was in a corner of the room doing absolutely nothing.

"Junior, what are you doing here? It's too dangerous for you to be here!" Larry asked.

"I have something important to show you." His libra brought up.

"Can this wait? I have to stop someone."

"He'll come back." Kraig told him.

"How can you be so sure?"

"He'll come back. I just know it."

The koopaling sighed but decided to sit down with his libra. The latter gave him an electronic tablet with a paper on it that read "For Larry".

"What's this?" The punk asked.

"That's your inheritance." The prince answered.

"That's my inheritance? If he planned to give me a tablet, I could've bought one myself."

"I don't think it's the object itself that's part of your inheritance. By example, Iggy has a document full of calculus while Ludwig has a musical composition. I think it contains a message that only you would be able to understand." Junior explained.

Larry turned on the tablet and slid the screen to unlock it. There was only one application, the photo one. He tapped on it and found a video in the application. He played the video. It was Bowser. He first waved at the viewers and started making many gestures and signs with his hands and arms. Junior had no idea what it meant but Larry understood all of them. He smiled and shredded a tear. His golden bracers started glowing. He finally had the heart to use the Sword of Creation.

"He did think of giving me something after all… He's crazy to give me something that huge…" The punk whispered.

"Larry, look." Junior told him as he pointed the punk's bracers.

They were glowing even more. It was a sign that the koopaling was truly the one that would restore the world. He now had the heart to use the Sword of Creation. All he needed was the might. He felt something suddenly stinging his shoulder. He quickly turned around and saw Kraig holding a needle.

"Do you mind!?" The punk scolded.

"Well, if you took it the first time, I wouldn't have to give it the second time." The crocodile joked.

The door opened and Riley entered the bridge. He was surprised at everything: Larry back from the death and Junior no longer in pain. He was however surprised to see Kraig here oddly enough.

"Kraig, I told you to leave far away. If someone else sees you here, you might be in trouble." Riley said in a worried tone.

"I'm sorry, bro. When I learned that my plan to stop you was foiled, I have to return to make sure it would still work." His big brother replied.

The pterodactyl was surprised. He never thought that his own brother would try to stop him. He slowly walked toward them and pushed the koopas aside. He jumped at his big brother to hug him. He cried.

"You don't have to be sorry, Kraig. I would've felt insulted if you didn't even try to stop me… Thank you, Kraig. Thank you for caring for the others. You've grown up so well despite being under MOM's control. I see that she didn't influence you at all. I'm so happy you didn't end up like me." Riley whispered.

Kraig hugged him back. The koopas sat by the wall.

"What's going on, Larry? Why are there hugging each other?" Junior asked.

"It's a long story but the only you need to know is that they're half-brothers that desperately sought freedom." Larry simply answered.

The aliens let go each other. Riley looked back at Larry but said nothing. He took an intercom.

"May I have your attention please? All personnel must evacuate the ship immediately! A breach has been detected in the private quarter and it grows worse by the second! Please follow the evacuation procedure!" Riley announced.

He went to the large window. Many ships could be seen from here and they all flew away from the ship. He turned back toward the others in the bridge.

"Kraig, please take care of the little turtle while I settle the score with his big brother. Please don't intervene anymore in my business. I don't want to hurt you." Riley ordered.

Kraig took Junior in his arms and sat far away.

"Well, it's just you and me, punk. Prepare yourself!" The pterodactyl said.

Larry and Riley started fighting each other. It was not a fight between good and evil. It was instead a fight between two people striving to protect those they love. Though, Riley only cared for one person in the entire universe. Riley started out with a tail attack but Larry caught it and pulled Riley to him. The punk unleashed a strong punch on the pterodactyl but the latter retaliated with his own punch. He tried to attack the koopaling with his beak but Larry avoided it and landed an uppercut on Riley's chin. Junior and Kraig only watched. They did not say anything. They did not even cheer. There was no reason to. The fight lasted for quite a while but it abruptly ended when Larry could land his signature move on Riley, sending the latter flying into a wall. All that fight exhausted him so much that he struggled to stand up. How could Riley lose against the punk if he was able to beat the hero of Amarioca? It was clear that Riley no longer wanted to keep on being a space pirate but he would not stop without one last fight against the person he envied all that time since the incident started. Maybe Riley let Larry win because of that. Or perhaps, since Larry was able to beat Mario too, he became so strong that he could finally beat the alien in a fair fight. It might have also helped that he had the powers of his siblings in him and a heart purer than Riley's. Nonetheless, it was finally over. Riley surrendered and kneeled down.

"Thank you for this last fight, punk… Please… Finish me." Riley whispered with a smile.

True to himself, Larry lent his hand to his adversary. He would never bring himself to kill anyone and this would not be an exception. He believed that everyone could change for the better. The alien stared at the hand his adversary lent but he looked away.

"Larry… You're so naïve to believe everyone can change… It's too late for me… I've been doing horrible things since I was pretty much adopted… There's no redemption for me… No amount of jail time will be enough to pay for all my crimes… I destroyed planets… Murdered many people… Or ruined their lives if they lived… Please… I'm begging you… End my suffering… Free me from myself." The alien quietly cried.

Larry looked at Junior and Kraig, disheartened. His libra did not move at all. Kraig, on the other hand, was crying but he silently nodded. He wanted the punk to free his little brother. He looked back at Riley but he had to look for something to finish him. He did not want to use the Sword of Creation to kill his foe. Such tool should only be used to save world, protect the innocents and punish the guilty ones. However, at this point, Riley was as guilty as he was innocent. Larry walked around in the room and eventually found an energy sword. He took it and went back to Riley. The punk started crying. He knew too well this feeling of not wanting to murder someone after the play in Pipeland. This time, he would be forced to and it would be real. He pointed the sword at the alien's head, ready to finish him.

"No… Not the head… Please, stab me right in the heart, where it hurts the most…" Riley quietly wished.

Larry was trembling but obliged. He slowly lowered his sword at the height of Riley's heart. Larry closed his eyes. He could not bear to see someone dying. As he was about to finish him…

"YOU ARE PATHETIC." A robotic voice spoke.

Everyone got startled. They all looked around them. A screen displaying a robotic eye caught their attention.

"MOM!? You're alive! Thank goodness, I thought we lost you for…" Riley started.

"DO NOT FOOL ME, RILEY. I KNOW YOU TRIED TO KILL ME BUT YOU SURPRISED ME. YOU DID NOT REALLY WANT POWER. YOU SIMPLY WISHED WHAT WAS GOOD FOR A FOOL THAT YOU STILL CONSIDER YOUR BIG BROTHER. YOU ARE PATHETIC, RILEY. I WOULD NOT HAVE INTERFERED IF YOU ACTUALLY TRIED TO FIGHT YOUR ENEMY. DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU COULD GET RID OF ME THAT EASILY? I AM NOT MADE OF FLESH LIKE ANY OF YOU. I AM NOT MADE OF NUTS AND BOLTS LIKE A MACHINE. I WAS MADE WITH NOTHING. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO AGAINST ME." The screen said.

Larry just figured out. The unthinkable Riley was talking about did not make Kraig quit. Riley freed him by attempting to murder their mother. The ship slowly leaned toward the planet it was facing. Kraig and Junior tried to leave the bridge but the door was now locked.

"I WILL NOT LET ANY OF YOU LEAVE THIS SHIP ALIVE. I WILL CRASH IT ON THE MARIO WORLD AND CONTINUE MY EXPERIMENT." MOM said.

"Larry, what are we gonna do?" Junior asked, scared.

"Withdraw in your shell. I'll do the same once I find us a good place to minimize the damage we'll take." Larry ordered.

His libra withdrew in his shell. The punk picked him up and looked around for a safe spot. He spotted one under the command board. He put his little brother here and crawled under. He place himself to see what Kraig and Riley were doing and he withdrew in his shell, hoping that he and his libra would survive the crash. Many lights blinked and alarms sounded. Kraig and Riley had one last moment before the ship crashed.

"Is this really the end for us?" Kraig desperately sighed.

Riley was doing his best to find a way to put the ship back in orbit. He slammed the board out of frustration and looked back at his big brother.

"I'm afraid so…" He whispered.

In one last moment, Kraig took his little brother in his arms and quickly went in a corner. The ship crashed. Everyone blacked out. A few seconds after the crash, Larry woke up and checked on his libra. The latter was fine. They left their spot. The bridge was in a complete mess: shards of glasses scattered on the floor, broken machines everywhere and sparks coming out from the broken computer screens. The punk looked at the bridge's windshield. It was broken but he would have to fend himself a way through it to leave the ship. There was still a fair amount of glass. The koopaling summoned the Sword of Creation to break some more glass to allow him and his libra to safely leave the ship. Once done, they got out and found themselves in the throne room of the Koopa Castle. They spotted Dry Bowser in pieces near a wall, slowly rebuilding itself.

"You know what to do, Junior. Start the melody. I'll join you once I checked on the castle's residents." Larry ordered.

The new king nodded and went to the lone dry creature. The punk slowly looked around. There did not seem to be anyone in here but maybe the crash did make some casualties. The thought alone disturbed him. As Junior was about to sing, a voice came out of the broken ship.

"Ow… I'm… Alive? I'M ALIVE! Kraig, it's a miracle! I'm… Kraig? Are you okay? You can wake up now. Bedtime's over… Kraig!? Please, tell me something! Kraig! KRAIG! Why did you give up your life to save mine!?" Riley's voice sobbed.

"WHY ARE YOU SO FOND OF THIS LIVING FAILURE? THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD GIVE TO BENEFIT ME." MOM's voice mocked.

"YOU! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL ME? AMUSING. I DO NOT EXIST IN FLESH OR METAL. HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO KILL SOMEONE OR SOMETHING THAT YOU CANNOT SEE?"

"Oh, I expected you to be an AI. I made a little something just for you…"

"STOP IT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DO NOT DARE TO INSERT THAT KEY IN MY COMPUTER."

"Enjoy your worm…"

A brief moment of silence occurred followed up by a loud artificial scream. Junior was too scared to sing the melody to what used to be his father. Larry looked back at the ship and saw Riley slowly emerging from it. The alien clumsily stood up, holding a new firearm in his hands. Anger and sadness filled his face. The mix of emotions made him tremble.

"Kill… Kill… Kill…" The alien whispered, big grin in his face.

"Riley, we don't need any more casualties." Larry begged.

Those few words were now pathetic for Riley. He chuckled. He slowly turned his head to look straight at the punk.

"Here's and old saying for you, punk: never pick a fight against a man that has nothing to lose. I'm gonna show how much YOU have to lost and I'll start with your little brother." Riley threatened.

The punk then realised that he indeed have something in common with Riley. They only cared for one thing: a person they held dear, one that completely changed their life. They were afraid that they would fall deep into the darkness if they lost that one person. The alien was no longer himself. He fell so deep in it so quickly he could no longer escape it. Riley raised his weapon and pointed it at the koopaling.

"Don't bother, Riley. I'm now immune to it." The punk reminded the pterodactyl.

"I'm not planning to use it on you." The latter sadistically whispered.

Larry got afraid. If he was not planning to fire the weapon on him, on whom else would Riley do? Junior was also immune to the new virus. No… He would not dare to use it on himself. True to Larry's fear, Riley slowly pointed the weapon at himself. He would infect himself. What scared Larry was not that Riley was about to end his life. Why would the alien threaten him? Riley started spreading a blue-green gas over himself. Just the different color was enough to make Larry horrified. The alien chuckled then laughed until the laughers became hysterical and got slowly muffled by the abundant and dense blue-green flames that engulfed its intentional victim. The flames exploded to make place to a dry abomination. This incredibly giant travesty of science and death still bore Riley's appearance but only his bones were part of it. Riley was no more. This abomination only pretended to be that person. Junior screamed and went hiding behind the throne, still intact.

"Junior, I need you to sing the melody! I'll distract him while you do!" Larry reassured.

The punk wielded the Sword of Creation, ready to fight the abomination. He was trembling. Though the thing may have looked like when the Kamek memory fragment became a monster, this one was the real deal. He could not afford to be hit even once. The abomination prepared to punch the koopaling. The latter placed the sword in front of him, with a hand on the flat side of the blade. Though he managed to block the first attack, he slid on the floor far away behind. It would not be a good idea to block further hits. Junior went back to Dry Bowser and started singing.

" **Take a melody."**

Dry Bowser reacted to the music. He was completely rebuilt. Meanwhile, Larry tried to attack the abomination with the sword but he could not even make a single dent on the bones. Science went too far when it made this monstrosity. Oddly enough, Lemmy's ghost appeared and delivered the second line of the melody.

" **Single as can be."**

The dry koopa stared at what used to be his youngest son. In the meantime, the abomination kicked the punk far away. He hit a wall. Iggy's ghost appeared and chanted the third line of the melody.

" **Give it some words and."**

Dry Bowser slowly picked up Junior and put him on its back. Larry struggled to stand up. He was too injured to keep fighting. One hit from this travesty of science and death was enough to put anyone out of fighting spirit, even Mario. Anyone else would be completely decimated by this one attack. The abomination slowly walked toward the punk. Wendy's ghost appeared to sing the fourth line of the melody.

" **Sweet harmony."**

The dry koopa started walking toward Larry. The latter was still struggling to stand up while the abomination went closer to him. Morton's ghost appeared to chant the fifth line out loud.

" **RAISE YOUR VOICES!"**

Dry Bowser started running toward Larry. The abomination just caught up to the punk and raised an arm to prepare a deadly punch. The koopaling closed his eyes, fearing that it was the end for him. Roy's ghost appeared and delivered the sixth line of the melody.

" **All day long now, love grows strong now."**

As the travesty was about to kill Larry, Dry Bowser just caught up to them and put itself between the punk and the abomination. It blocked the attack. Surprisingly, he was not even knocked back by the punch. Larry slowly opened his eyes and saw his former father protecting him. He was shocked to see that the melody was bringing the creature back to his sense and he saw all the spectral siblings around him singing the melody. Ludwig's ghost appeared and sang the seventh line of the melody.

" **Sing a melody of."**

The former king gave itself a boost and pushed the abomination back, causing it to fall on his back. Junior looked at Larry. He was the last one that needed to sing the melody. The punk delivered the last line.

" **Love, oh love."**

The two young koopas and the spectral siblings gathered together to sing the second part of the melody.

" **Love is the power;**

 **Love is the glory;**

 **Love is the beauty;**

 **And the joy of spring.**

 **Love is the magic;**

 **Love is the story;**

 **Love is the melody;**

 **We all can sign."**

The former king's skeletal body started glowing in a powerful light. It turned around and took his two remaining children in his arms and hugged them.

"My… Children…" It whispered.

The light blinded Larry and Junior. They relieved one last memory they shared with their family.

 _It was the weekend before the big day. Larry just arrived at the Koopa Castle on his bike. He parked it in the garage and went to the throne room. He saw all his siblings there. The others saw him and waved at him. Junior immediately ran toward the punk and jumped in his arms._

" _Larry! I'm so happy to see you!" The little prince greeted._

 _Larry held his libra in his arms and approached his other silbings. At the same time, Kamek entered the throne room and met them._

" _Good morning, children. Your father wants all of you to gather in the living room." Kamek told to the children._

 _They all headed to the living room where Bowser was already there. The armchairs and couches had been moved to make space in the middle of the room. The king was standing in front of a camera on a tripod placed at a fair distance from him._

" _There you all are, kids. It's time for a family photo." The father announced._

 _The children gathered around their father and stared at the camera. The magikoopa would operate the camera. Curiously, the camera had a delay for taking photos._

" _Kamek, would you please join us for this family photo." The king proposed._

" _Me? But I'm not even part of your family." Kamek stuttered._

 _Larry already knew that Kamek raised Bowser in his young age. He was also aware of the way he raised the king. It was obvious that the magikoopa was not comfortable to be with Bowser after the way he raised him. Despite that, Bowser still insisted that Kamek should be in the photo. The latter stood right next to the king. The flash blinded everyone._

The light faded away. Larry was expecting to be back in the throne room with the abomination but he was surprised when he found Junior and himself on the hill with the secret tombstone. The ghost of their father was sitting next to the tombstone. Junior noticed him and went to him.

"Papa!" The new king screamed, too happy to control his emotions.

Bowser took his youngest child in his arm. Larry stared at them. He was not expecting to see his father again, especially after how he behaved when he thought he would inherit nothing from him. Bowser looked at the punk, smile on his face. The latter started crying and jumped at him to hug him.

"I'm sorry, dad! I'm sorry I ever doubted you!" Larry sobbed, ashamed of himself.

"Larry, you do not have to be sorry. I understand that you and the others would be angry after me for believing that I would give you nothing after I passed away. You do not really need anything, even with an inheritance. But I still wanted to give something, something you and the other koopalings you never had in your life, something that belonged to you long ago. That is why I planned that you would inherit that." Bowser reassured.

He put his children back on the ground.

"I suppose you must have told Junior about her mother." The father whispered.

Junior nodded and showed his father the photo of him with Clawdia. Bowser looked at it.

"Yes… I remember when I gave it to Peach months ago." The former king simply said as he shredded a tear on the photo.

Bowser's body started emitting particles of light.

"It is time for me to go, children. Before I do, Larry, please accept this gift. It should help you in your future. You took care of Junior better than I ever did. I'm glad you changed for the better. I'm glad you have finally forgiven yourself. Keep raising him, Larry. That is the only favor I want you to do for me." The former king said as he focused his energy to create a light orb.

The light orb was big, very big, and even bigger than Larry. It did not go into him. It completely engulfed the punk. The intense amount of energy was too much for Larry. He felt the excessive energy rushing through his body. He could no longer see a thing. The light was blinding him. He heard a screech and a skeletal arm emerged from the light, about to punch him.

The light instantly faded away and the punk grabbed after the arm. His arms were much bigger than usual and were shining like a rainbow. He looked at himself and realized that he did not just grow up the same size as his father. He became his father. Junior went hiding behind the throne. Larry, fully charged, pulled the abomination's arm and threw the travesty into a wall. The sheer amount of force caused the monster to break apart on the wall. However, it was not defeated yet. It quickly rebuilt itself. Larry kicked the monster back to the wall and pummeled it with his fists to shatter its bones. All that remained was the head. He picked it up and smashed it on the wall. The abomination was finally defeated. The punk fell something strange in him. He reverted back to his normal size, still shining in every color. He looked around and saw Junior running to him, applauding him.

"You did it, Larry! You beat the monster! It's finally over!" Junior congratulated.

"No… Not yet. Where's the Sword of Creation?" Larry asked.

They looked around them and saw the godly artifact resting on the throne. The new king went to bring it to his big brother. When Larry held the sword, the blade brightened in a powerful and majestic blue light. Larry finally had the heart and the might to use the sword at its fullest. He raised it high in the air with his two hands.

"Go, Larry! Bring back everyone! Restore our world!" His libra cheered.

The punk looked at his little brother, smiling and jumping on each foot. He would finally return to his normal life where he would work, do sports and be with his libra. He would finally see his family again. However…

"Larry!"

Wait!"

The punk recognized those two voices. He saw Starlow and Geno rushing inside the throne, worried. Surprisingly, Kamek and Isabelle were also with them.

"Guys, you missed the fight of a lifetime! It's time to bring everything back to normal." Larry said.

"You can't do that!" Starlow replied.

"Why not? Wasn't it what we wanted in the first place?"

"You don't understand, Larry. We just spoke to the stars and they say this: You can restore the world but it will only wipe out the dry creatures out of existence. You already had enough heart and might for that before we moved here but what your heart sought was to bring back everyone. If you want to bring back everyone, you don't just need immense amount of might and heart. It also requires…" Geno started to explain.

The doll wanted to conclude his explanation but he was hesitating. Larry figured out what bringing back everyone would truly cost.

"… My life." Larry whispered.

He looked at his little brother. He did not say anything. In fact, no one said anything. They were hesitating. Was it really worth it to sacrifice the person with the most might and heart to bring back everyone? The punk gained the world but would lose his own life just after. The punk sighed but made a decision.

"I'm sorry, guys. I have to do it. I was chosen to carry all our hope, might and heart to wield the Sword of Creation and to restore the world. The grandest tasks require the greatest sacrifices. It's not like I have other choices. I can't leave the world like that or all of that would be for nothing. It's pointless to just restore the world because we already got rid of all the dry creatures. Riley and MOM are history. There will never be another world where this same incident will happen." Larry said.

"No… You do have one last choice." Geno answered as he walked toward Larry.

"What do you mean?"

"It's time for me to reveal that I had one last prime directive to follow. It is to make sure no one would ever have to give up their family, their friends and their life to bring back everyone. Please, allow me. Transfer all your might and heart in me. I will bring back everyone for you."

"But you're a person! I can't do that!"

"Larry… I appreciate that you show concern for my existence but I am just a star sprite made to look over people. I am not a real person. Those emotions are programmed just to allow me to sympathize with people. Will you allow me to perform that one last task?"

The punk was unsure but he nodded. It was time for him to move on, to start thinking about himself. He gave the Sword of Creation to Geno and focused all his energy to transfer all his might and heart into the puppet. The latter raised the sword as high as he could. Larry took Junior and sat on the throne. Starlow went to the doll while Isabelle and Kamek joined the koopa children.

"You know what to do, Geno." Starlow said.

"Yes… Starlow, I… I love you." The doll confessed.

Starlow started crying. She was not expecting his co-worker to confess something like that at the last minute.

"What!? Geno, you can't say something like that when you're about to leave us!" She cried.

"I'm sorry, Starlow. I wanted to confess it a very long time ago, when I and Larry returned from Sealand. You were right to interrupt me at the time since I did not have feelings. It would have just seemed as a programming malfunction from my part. Words are nothing without the proper feeling. Though I was fixed a few days ago, it was only now that I could finally feel love and muster my courage to confess it to you."

"I love you too, Geno. You were right to hold yourself until now. If you confessed it earlier, I'd be afraid to have to choose between you and Larry."

"Do not say that, Starlow. I am just machines conceived to ensure that no life form would give up their life for such a colossal task."

"But I'm a machine too!"

"No… Starlow… You are more than just a machine. You are the future for us star sprites. I will admit this: I wanted to be envious of you when I first saw you right after you were created but I also wanted to love you. I was afraid I would no longer work for the stars and then be scrapped."

The blade shined brightly.

"Geno, as a favor from me, may you show your true self? I have never seen what you looked like under this doll."

"Indeed, I can grant you this wish."

The doll fell on the ground and a small white starman, as small as Starlow, emerged from it.

"You're so pretty." Starlow complimented, starting to tremble.

She gave one last kiss to Geno's true form and joined Larry and Junior on the throne. They all looked at Geno and the blade that started brightening the room.

"Everyone… I want to thank you for showing me the world, for taking me on adventures, for allowing me to express myself. As a token of gratitude, I will use my existence to bring back everyone like the dragons used their life to create all of you."

The light became so strong that it blinded everyone.

" **À tout le monde;**

 **À tous mes amis;**

 **Je vous aime;**

 **Je dois partir."**

These were the last words Geno would ever speak.

 **END OF ACT 8**


	36. Epilogue

**Epilogue: The Aftermath**

"Wake up, Larry!" Junior's voice cheered.

Larry slowly opened his eyes. He was still sitting on the throne holding his libra. Having woken up made the punk think his adventure was just a dream. The whole scenery proved him otherwise. He saw his father and the rest of his siblings lying on the ground. They slowly woke up and wondered where they were.

"Papa!" Junior greeted as he left Larry's arms and hugged his father.

The punk followed him. Their family hugged them and gave some compliments.

"LARRY DID GREAT!" Morton yelled.

"I knew you could do it, Larry-o." Wendy said.

"I can't believe it worked!" Iggy commented, fascinated.

"Ya did it, lad!" Roy complimented.

"Yay!" Lemmy simply said.

"Larry, zat vas remarkable!" Ludwig told to Larry.

"You saved everyone, son. I'm…" Bowser started.

A phone began to ring. The koopa family searched in their pocket. Bowser pulled his phone and answered.

"Hello? Peach? What a pleasant surprise to hear your voice! How are you? Fine? That's great! How about the Mario brothers? They are too? And… The Space Federation wants to plan a real meeting next Monday? Can it wait? I just woke up and I somehow need a lot of rest. How about we take some vacation together at Delfino Isle? You know: me, you, my kids and your plumbers. Of course the advisors can come if they want to. Alright, I have a lot to do before I can finally pack up some luggage. I'll see you and the others tonight at the Starman Airport. Alright, bye." The koopa king said before he closed his phone.

Larry looked to his left. Isabelle jumped at him and kissed him right on the mouth. She then released him and giggled. Another phone rang. It was her phone. She answered it.

"Hello? Digby!? You're alive!? I'm not talking to a ghost, right? Sorry, it's been so long. The mayor is looking for me? In that case, I'll be right there. Bye!" She said.

She put away her phone and looked back at Larry.

"I understand. I'll see you next time." He bid.

Isabelle ran to the exit. The punk looked at her until he could see Kraig and Riley who were waking up. Interestingly enough, the ship that crashed into the throne room was nowhere to be found. In fact, the room was fully restored. Riley completely woke up and quickly looked around him. The only thing that interested him was Kraig. He jumped at him to give him a big hug.

"Kraig! I'm so happy to see you! I was so scared to have lost you!" The pterodactyl sobbed.

He caught Kamek's attention who called the guards to arrest them.

"Here are the traitors, your highness!" Kamek declared.

The two aliens were brought to the koopa king by many guards. At least ten of them had to push Kraig to Bowser.

"Please, your majesty, have mercy!" Riley begged.

"You shall spend the rest of your life in the dungeon. Afterward, after you scrubbed all the floors in the kingdom, then we can talk about mercy. Take him away." Bowser replied.

He turned toward Kraig. The punk went to see them.

"Your highness, if I may…" Larry proposed.

The king looked at him and back at Kraig.

"Fine… You are free to go, sir. Don't cause any trouble." The king sighed.

"No, please, arrest me! I…" Kraig started.

"Kraig, don't throw your life away like that just like me. You have so much to life for. Please, promise me you'll never get into trouble like that." Riley asked.

"I hate to say that a criminal is right but he is." Bowser pointed out.

Kraig stopped. He looked at his little brother and hugged him one last time before leaving the castle. Junior went to Kamek and brought both him and Bowser next to each other.

"Papa, Kammy has something to ask you." The prince brought up.

"Bowser, can I…" Kamek started.

He was stuttering too much to ask the king anything. He was very nervous, even anxious. Bowser, however, figured out what his advisor would want to ask him.

"… Dad?" The king whispered.

Being called like that made Kamek burst in tears. He immediately hugged his boss and cried.

"I'm sorry, Bowser! I could've raised you properly! I could've ignored him!" He sobbed in Bowser's arms.

"Shhhh, it's all past, dad. I forgive you. You were led by a king who wanted to make sure that our kingdom would not fall to him. He may not have acted the best way but his intention was the same as ours. I should've paid attention to details instead of jumping to conclusions." Bowser quietly reassured.

Larry and Junior stood still, touched by this reconciliation. The other koopalings were shocked to learn that Kamek was Bowser's father and his royal advisor. The two koopa adults let each other go.

"Well, kids, we have a lot of work to do. Meet me in an hour here." Bowser announced.

The koopalings nodded and went to their room. Larry was about to leave too but he then noticed Starlow sat in front of the doll Geno used to inhabit. All the royal artifacts were scattered around her. The punk went to see her and sat down.

"I'm sorry, Starlow. I wish there had been a way to bring back everyone without giving up anyone." Larry mourned.

"Oh, I see that you met Geno." Bowser's voice spoke.

The duo looked behind them. Bowser was standing there.

"Don't worry, kids. He'll come back. I'm sure of it." The king optimistically said.

Larry and Starlow looked at each other, surprised. The star sprite smiled at him.

"I have to go, Larry. I need to return to the stars. My task is done. I hope they'll let me stay here." She said.

The star sprite left the room. The punk kept looking at her through on of the tall windows until she vanished into space. He looked back at his father.

"Well, Larry, it's time to return the artifacts to their owners but before that we need to prepare a ceremony for your deeds. How about you go on a walk and come back here in an hour." Bowser announced.

Larry nodded. He left the castle. He went to town where all the citizens applauded him and whistled. Among the citizens, the punk saw PamPam, happier than usual. He went to see her.

"Larry, you won't believe that! BoomBoom just called me! He's back!" She screamed.

It did not surprise him. Having already seen his family return, he expected more people to be back. He went back to the orphanage where he grew up before Bowser adopted him. It was still in the same condition as usual: in a state of disrepair. He brushed those bad memories away and carried on with his stroll. He returned to the castle an hour later. When he entered the throne room, two lines of koopas standing guard were there. Behind the lines, many citizens congratulated the koopaling and waved at him. Near the throne, Bowser was holding the Koopa Klaymore. The rest of the heroes, Peach, Mario and Luigi, were also with him. Junior emerged from behind the throne with a medal in his hands and looked at his big brother, smiling. Larry started walking and smiled back at his libra. A fanfare started playing while confetti snowed down on the floor. The guards that he passed saluted him. Near the end, his siblings were also in line, saluting him. Morton, Iggy and Lemmy were to the left while Wendy, Roy and Ludwig were to the right. When Larry reached the throne, Bowser approached him. The punk kneeled down while the koopa king lowered the sword to his shoulders.

"Larry Koopa, for your acts of heroism, you shall be honored as the Koopa Champion. Will you carry this title until your end comes?" Bowser asked.

Most of the crowd was surprised that Larry bore the same last name as the king. Not many people knew that the koopalings were part of Bowser's family.

"Yes, I'll carry this title until my end comes. I shall protect the kingdom from anyone who dares defile our land." The punk replied.

Bowser moved aside to make place for his youngest son, who put the medal around his big brother's neck. The crowd cheered even louder. Larry looked at everyone and waved at them. It was a glorious day for the Mario World. It was freed from the vile curse that turned everyone into dry creatures and everyone was brought back to life. A female koopa troopa with a red shell, wearing a green hat and pink shoes, approached the new hero.

"Hi! I'm Kylie Skoop, journalist for the Koopa Kronicle! May I ask you some questions?" The koopa troopa greeted.

Larry nodded.

"Great! First question: Are you really related to King Bowser?"

"Yes, he adopted me and the other koopalings eleven years ago."

"Wow! I wasn't expecting the others to be adopted by him either. Alright, second question: how did you restore the world and bring back everyone?"

"It first started with me finding the orange wand and trying to look after my family. A few days after the incident, I was visited by a star sprite named Starlow who told me about restoring the world. I helped her and she guided me into my family. Another star sprite named Geno also helped me during my travels. When I met my siblings, they shared their powers with me to allow me to make the Sword of Creation with the wands, the Koopa Klaymore and the Star Pendant and…"

Larry paused for a moment. He took some deep breath and took back.

"… If it wasn't for Geno, I wouldn't be here with all of you."

"How's that?"

"To bring back everyone, it did not only need enough heart or power. The sword would also take away a life and Geno volunteered to save mine."

"That's very kind of him… Shall we end the interview now?"

"If you don't have any other question, we can…"

"Third and last question: Who tried to destroy our world?"

"A group of space pirate led by and AI tried a new weapon here. I managed to stop them but they completely vanished after the world was restored. One of the most dangerous members, Riley, is serving a sentence in the castle's dungeon."

"That's all I wanted to know! Thanks for sharing some time with us! Stay tuned for the next interview!"

After the ceremony, Bowser and his children packed some luggage and headed to the Sunshine Airport, in Mushroom City. Before reaching the airport, they had to stop in all the lands to return the wands. In Grassland, Larry also gave his crown back to the Goomba King. After that, the family left Amarioca with Peach and her friends and landed on Delfino Isle.

They had the vacations of their life. They stayed at an hotel in Delfino Plaza, explored the Bianco Hills, rode boats around the Ricco Harbor, surfed on the waves that clashed on the Gelato Beach, rode all the attractions in Pinna Park, ate the finest meal at the hotel on Sirena Beach, swam in the cleanest water of Noki Bay, danced under the stars in Pianta Village and climbed the Coronal Mountain. A week later, they returned to Amarioca and prepared for the next big day with the Space Federation. This time, no space pirate would ruin the day. They were all gone. Peach, Bowser and co prepared themselves save for…

"Wake up, Larry! You're late!" Kamek's voice shouted.

Our hero was sleeping in his bed at the Koopa Castle when Kamek's voice erupted. The punk slowly woke up, wondering what he was late for. He suddenly realized that today was the big day… Again.

"Give me a sec!" Larry said.

"There's no time for that! The others are already meeting your dad! Go see him right now!" Kamek's voice shouted back.

The koopaling had no choice. He left his room, feeling embarrassed for forgetting to set up an alarm. Kamek stared at him with his piercing gaze. Larry directly headed to Bowser's office. By the time he got there, Morton just received his instructions for the big day. Everyone else was already gone. Morton chuckled when he saw his little brother still in his underwear. The punk entered the office and sat on the chair in front of Bowser. He was not too optimistic for today though.

"Well, someone's been enjoying his vacations a little too much." Bowser joked.

"Yeah…" Larry simply whispered.

"Anyway, today's the big day. Like the other koopalings, you will represent me to one of the seven lands. I chose Grassland for you but…"

"I know. I'm just an escort for the representative."

Bowser chuckled. The koopaling had no idea why his father would laugh at his pessimism.

"… You'll have to find yourself an escort." His father announced.

Larry's jaw dropped.

"You mean I can represent you!?" He stuttered.

"Of course, you're my highest ranking troop in my kingdom. It'll be stupid from me to degrade the best to just an escort. Why I want you to bring an escort is because I want you to teach that person your ways."

"Yes, King… I mean dad! Can you give me some time to prepare myself?"

Kamek just entered the room.

"Speaking of preparation, I think Kamek can hook you up." Bowser said.

With a gesture of his wand, Kamek sprayed some magic dust on the punk and he was now wearing new clothes. Instead of the usual suit Larry had for the big day, he was wearing the clothes he wore during his quest: The black jacket, the sky blue tie and the purple pants.

"You look much better like that than with the other suit." Kamek complimented.

"I agree." Bowser added.

Larry nodded and left the office. He ran in the throne room looking for an ideal escort. He stumbled across BoomBoom and PamPam. They were not doing anything in particular besides walking in the room holding hands. The punk went to see them.

"Guys, I need an escort for the big day! Can you help me out?" Larry asked.

The couple agreed. They took BoomBoom's truck and left the Koopa Kingdom toward Grassland. During the trip, they spoke about what they did in the week after the world was restored. Once they arrived at the Grassland Fortress, They entered it and met the Goomba King.

"Greetings, your… I mean Sir Larry. I'm still not used to be a king again." The king said.

They had a good laugh and headed to the meeting room. They sat down around a table with many screens placed on a wall. When the meeting started, all the screens turned on showing the other participants from the other lands, the two kingdoms as well as the Space Federation president. The meeting went as expected and was a success. New treaties were made for trades and tourism. To celebrate that, a party would be organized at Peach's castle starting at 6pm.

Evening arrived. The party at Peach's castle was about to start. Larry was already there but he was leaning back on the bridge's railing. He was curious to see the special guests of this night. Sometimes, royalties would invite friends to come with them at Peach's or Bowser's parties. The first to arrive was King Goomba with his advisor Captain Goomba. It was nothing special. The Grassland king would always bring his advisor to parties. The second was King Wart with his niece Birdo in a red dress, along with an unexpected but not unwelcome guest. The green humanoid was wearing a full purple suit with a purple top hat and white gloves. He was also wearing a purple bandana that covered his golden eyes. The punk immediately recognized Popple. The Sandland king entered the castle while the couple stayed behind to chat with Larry.

"Goodness, Popple, it's great to see you again!" The koopaling cheered.

"Oh, sweetie, you should've seen the look on my face when I saw him again." Birdo said.

"But how were you release?" Larry asked.

"When the Obeanie queen learned that you had the seven wands in your possession and were the one that requested my release, she immediately retired, see? She gave the throne to her son the prince who released me, boss. He offered me a job as a spy which I accepted then I travelled to Sandland to tall Cathie the good news, see? She invited me right away as her escort for the big day and as her guest tonight." Popple explained.

"Guys, I'll be in the adults' room if you're looking for me." Birdo declared as she left.

"Boss, I want to thank you for everything." The fancy burglar said.

"Don't mention it. And please, call me Larry."

"Sure thing, Larry."

The two entered the castle. Popple joined his lover in the adults' room. The punk could not go in there. He was still too young. This year, Iggy was the new guest among Bowser's children that could go in but chose to be with the younger guests. Larry joined the other children in another room. Morton and Wendy were already inside when Larry entered the room. Junior and Kamek just entered it. During the week of vacation, the magikoopa grew attached to the prince and he would now raise him as he intended to raise Bowser: as one of his children. Oddly enough, Lemmy was also among them. He did not light the adults' room where they served beverages he disliked for tasting weird and make him feel funny. The guests in the room spoke to each other about many things. An hour later, Ludwig joined them to speak to Larry.

"Larry, I see zat you've been doing very vell lately." Ludwig complimented.

"Aren't you supposed to be with the adults like every other year?" Larry asked

"I just vanted to see vat my favorite little brozer vas doing tonight."

"I just got in the room. I was planning to drink some punch and eat a few sandwiches."

"Don't you mean a lot?" The big brother teased.

"I can control myself, Ludwig."

While they were speaking, Petey Piranha entered the room, holding a plate full of sandwiches. He was also one of the few adults that preferred to be with children than other adults.

"Who wants a LUDWICH!?" Petey joked.

Ludwig's good mood quickly vanished.

"Excuse me vile I make my vay out and back vith ze real adults." The eldest koopaling concluded.

When he left, the other guests in the room started laughing. They heard Ludwig screaming.

"Phew, guess he really needed to VONT out some frustration!" Petey joked again.

The guests laughed even more. Larry left the room and saw Rosalina holding Tatanga in her arms. They were both in their fanciest clothes for the night. The punk went to see them. He noticed that the alien was grumpy.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Larry asked.

"We just received a new member among the Space Federation a few days ago and he started working with us. He's a really sympathetic person and very knowledgeable. He's not with us right now. He chose to stay at home." Rosalina answered.

"Who's the new recruit?" The punk asked, small ounce of sarcasm in his voice.

He already had an idea who would join the Space Federation.

"He asked us to not speak about him during the party, I'm sorry." The woman asked.

"Speak for yourself. At least, someone didn't steal your ship." Tatanga muttered.

"Come on, sweetie. We're here to have fun. We'll start the search tomorrow but for tonight I want you to smile for us and the others."

"Easy for you to say I'm…"

Rosalina kissed the bat boy on the head. This made the latter instantly smile and lose control of himself. He was slowly stuttering and had a funny look on his face, blushing red that slightly mixed up with the purple on his face to form some blue. The two left to the adults' room. Larry decided to take a walk in the backyard. He walked among the trees and plants that gave life to that part of the castle. He spotted the bench with the statue of Geno in front of it and sat on the bench. He stared at the statue for who knows how long.

"Hey…" A familiar voice spoke.

Larry looked behind him and saw Starlow. He was surprised to see her here after she said that she had to return among the stars after her task was done (Chapter 2-2). She sat on the bench and stared at the statue. The punk could tell that she was still missing Geno. Everyone that survived the incident at first was but the star sprite was a different case. She could have loved him.

"To think I could've know Geno's true appearance just by staring at that statue…" She whispered.

"I don't think so. It's only a statue of a starman with the encryption "L is real" on it. Speaking of encryption, I wonder what that means." The punk told to her.

"I remember the stars telling me that those were part of Geno's last words when he freed the Mario World from Smithy. Since it misses words, we can't take it in any context. It shall remain a mystery forever."

"Tell me, did the stars let you stay here?"

"Yes…"

Starlow posed for a moment.

"Larry… Do you think what your father said about Geno might be true?" the star sprite asked.

"I'm not sure myself. I don't even know if Geno had to sacrifice himself when Smithy took over. I want to believe it might be true but I also doubt it. Maybe what my dad meant is that he'll never be truly gone since we'll remember him."

A shooting star flew across the starry night. It caught the duo's attention. They stared at it until it went out of sight, behind the walls probably. That part of the backyard was not brightened. Larry looked back at his friend.

"You must've wished for his return? Don't feel embarrassed to admit it. I also want him to return. I did not thank him properly before he restored our world and…" The koopaling started.

"No…" Starlow simply whispered.

"What?"

Starlow looked at him and smiled.

"He wouldn't want me to waste my wish like that so that's why… Larry… We've been on an adventure I will never forget… We met so many people that I did not know before… I made so many friends here… We went through many dangers… We almost failed our missions and even if there were times I could not go with you I watched over you to make sure you would not need me… We made some mistakes and almost lost our cause but in the end we prevailed because we were able to fix them… So that's why… Larry… I wish that we can go on another adventure like that one." Starlow declared.

The punk was touched. The star sprite lifted off her seat and went to kiss Larry on the cheek.

"This one is real, right?" The punk joked.

"Do you see your little brother around?" She joked back.

They had a good laugh and sighed. Starlow then focused her energy. The star on her head shined. She made an orb of light that imploded into a golden ring with a starman on it. She gave it to her friend. Larry took the ring and looked at his hand. He remembered that he was no longer the Grassland king and that he no longer had the orange wand. He put his new ring on the finger that used to wear his ancient golden ring.

"What's that?" He asked.

"That's a sign of our friendship, Larry. I want you to keep it." His friend said.

"Excuse me." A more powerful voice interrupted.

The duo saw Bowser walking to them.

"May I speak with my son in private please?" The king asked.

The star sprite nodded and headed inside the castle.

"Tell me, dad. Did you really plan to give me that much? It seems a lot for someone at my age." Larry asked.

"I just want to give you back what belonged to your family. I did state in my message that you could keep whatever you want from the land but that you must keep the wand with you."

"Yeah… But why do you want me to keep the wand? Wouldn't the Grassland king need it more than I would?"

"No, he does not need it. Only a drakoopa can use it at its fullest if either he becomes a king or had mastered his abilities on his own."

"How long were you planning to hide my true identity?"

"Until you would become old enough to know the danger of being a drakoopa. King Boo and some other people hold a grudge against our kind so I had to make them believe that you and your other siblings were just normal children. It partially worked. King Boo knew that I was trying to deceive him. I suppose you discovered who you are from him."

"I first knew what an athlean was when Toadsworth explained it to me after I helped him rescue Peach (Chapter 1-3) and then Geno scanned me and told me my true name (Chapter 3-3). It was only days later that I met him and he confirmed to me most of it while also telling me about some of his plans and how he started the Dragon War."

"You already knew that before meeting him? I guess I underestimated Geno."

"And what about Junior's mother?"

"I was too scared to tell him that he passed away after her mother gave birth to his egg. I was afraid he would think that her departure was his fault."

Bowser looked down. He did not seem sad. Something caught his attention on his son.

"That's a nice you have there." He complimented.

"Oh, yeah, Starlow gave it to…" The punk started.

He then saw his father wearing a similar ring, certainly as a sign of friendship with Geno.

"There you are. Junior is about to sing for us." Peach's voice spoke.

The two koopas followed her back inside. They even saw Luigi, in his fanciest black suit and drinking something in a cup, who just arrived with his Poltergust 3000. The apparel was dancing on its own as if another party was going on inside.

"Let me go! I wanna be part of the party too, you know!" A voice spoke.

King Boo was still trapped inside the vacuum. Luigi ignored him at first.

"Can I have something to drink at least?" King Boo's voice begged.

Luigi poured his drink inside the vacuum.

"Hey! Hey! I wasn't ready for that, idiot! Now I'm all covered in juice thanks to you!"

The others laughed and went to the main hall. A piano was installed since Ludwig would be performing for Junior's singing. The lights lowered in brightness. Ludwig started playing while Junior started singing.

" **On an ocean of stars;**

 **Lo, an angel they see;**

 **Untouched by the war that they waged.**

 **Lain low by their scars;**

 **A people wounded, but free;**

 **Seek what lies beyond this Dark Age.**

 **The seasons they turn, winter to spring;**

 **Dulling the pain and erasing the sting;**

 **The seasons turn, summer to fall;**

 **Time's warm embrace begins to heal all.**

 **On the wild, at first light;**

 **The jasper lion will run;**

 **Hark an anthem he drums. Can you hear?**

 **The people fresh from the night;**

 **Rise and listen as one;**

 **The land that they were promised is near.**

 **And though I am gone, just ash in the wind;**

 **One life surrendered so yours can begin;**

 **Courage my children. This is your song;**

 **I am the Earth. I will make you strong.**

 **A world riven by pride, repaired at last;**

 **And now its makers can be at rest. Our vision come to pass.**

 **The seasons, they turn, memory fades;**

 **But when my name has been lost to the grey;**

 **I will sustain you, year after year;**

 **I will protect you when dangers appear.**

 **And though I am gone, just ash in the wind;**

 **One life surrendered so yours can begin;**

 **Courage my children. This is your song;**

 **I am the Earth. I will make you strong."**

After the party, everyone returned to their home. Larry went to sleep. Tomorrow, he would return to his old life, his two jobs and his two sports.

 **THE END**


End file.
